BUSINESS

Australia needs to brace for higher electricity rates and transport costs as soon as the government implements the carbon tax. This is one of the key results of the independent study made by the designated independent team the Productivity Commission.

An Air New Zealand Boeing 767 made an emergency landing at the Auckland airport on Thursday after experiencing engine problems shortly after take-off, the airline and emergency services said.

Australia’s unemployment rate eased at 4.9 percent in May as some 7,800 were employed raising the total to 11.445 million, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) announced on Thursday. Nevertheless, the type of jobs created by the economy has been eroded with lesser full-time jobs and more part-time work offered to residents.

- Australian Institute of Management completes National Salary Survey- Survey shows a skills shortage is generating increased wage pressures- Companies are responding by becoming increasingly flexible- Training and development programs also increasing By Chris ShawThe Australian Institute of Managem...

The AUD has found support back at 1.0600 and the market believes the most likely move in the near term will be a retracement back up to the top of the trading range at 1.0760. That said, today’s employment numbers, due at 11.30am AEDT, could be a game changer. A number below 20k could see the AUD’s outlook shift to bearish.

Industrial action will soon hit the Australian coal operations of BHP Billiton as some 4000 coking coal workers are set to walk out from their job sites beginning next week, demanding from the giant resources company better pay and solid tenure assurances.

Two statements from Stockland Holdings yesterday failed to have a dramatic impact on the share price, but they did show the way the company is changing its orientation.

Housing affordability has seen a slight improvement, but the REIA has claimed affordability still constitutes a significant hurdle for homebuyers.

Leading mortgage brokers and non-banks have thrown aside normal competitive pressures to join forces in a last stand against the government's impending ban on exit fees, which is set to come into force on 1 July.

Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig, today announced that the Government has suspended the export of live cattle to Indonesia "until new safeguards are established for the trade".

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 21 points or 0.2% while the S&P lost 0.4% to 1279 and the Nasdaq was hit 1.

For the first time, Australia's biggest airport will be managed by a woman effective on 1 July, the company said as Ms Kerrie Mather has been appointed as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sydney Airport.

Failure to actively groom women throughout the leadership pipeline is a huge risk for businesses, particularly with a growing skills shortage in many industries and an ageing workforce, but if it's done well it can represent a vast opportunity.

Foreign investors are not letting Japan's rough trot upset them, or the fear of a credit rating downgrade worry them; they are continuing to load up on Japanese securities, according to figures released yesterday.

The banking industry is set to review the long-term future of paying by paper as the chequebook's days are numbered while PINs continue win over pens.

The current conditions in the commodity markets may represent an unsustainable bubble which is open to a sudden correction, warns a new report from Standard and Poor’s global rating service.

Australia's government led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard did not promise to give the local cattle industry any compensation for the recent implementation of a live export ban to Indonesia, which will last for six months.

Sony Corp.'s film studio said yesterday it has provided notice to the approximately 37,500 people who may have had some personally identifiable information stolen during the recent attack on sonypictures.com.

- Bradken's recent capital raising has strengthens balance sheet- Increased scope for bolt-on acquisitions- Moelis sees value leading into an earnings growth acceleration post FY12By Chris ShawAt the end of last month Bradken ((BKN)) reiterated full year earnings guidance for a result in EBITDA...

Nintendo Co. unveiled at the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California, the Wii U, the high-definition video-game console succeeding the market leader Wii.

Treasurer Wayne Swan is set to release today the Productivity Commission's report on international climate regimes at noon in Brisbane. Mr Swan will try to justify to opposing industry that seven of Australia's top-10 trading partners have adopted major policies to reduce pollution. The coal and gas industries have continue to oppose the carbon tax legislation further arguing the report should look at the measures taken by Australia's competitors.

Property developer Stockland confirmed today in a filing with the Australian Stock Exchange that it is in discussions with a potential buyer for assets representing about 20% if its industrial portfolio. This comes as Stockland also announced that it has secured 339 hectares of residential land in south west Sydney.

As the Australian share market went down for a sixth consecutive trading day, investors went to the New Zealand markets, which rose close to 20 points to 3525.39, a change of about 56 percent.

While many people are controlling their urges to grab a hold of the iPhone 4 thinking the iPhone 5 will be launched in the near future, the actual release of the highly anticipated smart phone remains a whodunit.

The Reserve Bank's decision to hold off plans for an upward rate adjustment in the past few months had impact well on Australia's consumers, who are now more spend-thrifts and conscious on what to spend on.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. announces PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) (PCH-1000 series) as the official platform name for the next generation portable entertainment system (codename: NGP). Wi-Fi model will be available for 24,980 yen (including tax) in Japan, $249 in US and euro 249 in Europe, 3G/Wi-Fi model will be available for 29,980 yen (including tax) in Japan, $299 in US and euro 299 in Europe and successively launch in global market starting the end of 2011.

Parrot, leaders in wireless peripherals for mobile phones, revolutionised the video gaming world by creating the AR.Drone, the first flying object in Augmented Reality piloted through Wi-Fi.

- The Brent-WTI spread has blown out to over US$17- The gap reflects lack of storage at Cushing- The global oil price is US$117/bbl not US$100/bblBy Greg PeelAs explained back in February in an FNArena feature story (Death In West Texas), this year has seen a rapid extension of the usually tight pre...

Global mining giant Rio Tinto has announced on Wednesday the doubling of the company’s fleet of automated-driven truck haulers currently deployed in the Pilbara region of Western Australia to further raise its ore production.