BUSINESS

Authorities are investigating the insertion of a car bomb under the vehicle of an Xstrata senior executive at the firm’s Tahmoor Colliery site in New South Wales.

Underground coal gasification (UCG) plant operator Cougar Energy Ltd (ASX: CXY) said on Tuesday that company securities were suspended from further trading as exchange authorities await the decision of Queensland government on whether to allow the resumption of its pioneering Kingaroy operations or to stay its current shuttered status.

High-end department store giant David Jones Ltd (ASX: DJS) said on Monday that it would have an early exit from its Toombul Centre lease in Queensland in order to focus on the richly profitable Chermside store in the Westfield Shopping Centre, which is about five kilometres from Toombul.

Mineral sands explorer Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) revealed on Tuesday that total production for its June quarter only reached 418.2 kilotonnes, slumping by 9.6 percent from the 462.5 kilotonnes posted on the corresponding period last year.

The AUD has opened fairly unchanged this morning currently trading around USD0.8690. The AUD did strengthen during the offshore session before it fell victim to profit taking and some risk averse trading.

KOGAS (Korea Gas Corporation) has struck a 20 year deal to buy LNG (liquefied natural gas) from Western Australia’s Wheatstone gas project.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission chief economist Alex Erskine says the oversight of the housing market by the securities regulator is the "next logical step'', arguing that this would increase transparency while lowering sharp distortions in home prices.

U.S. stocks notched modest gains Monday as investors sifted through mixed earnings and a weak index of housing sentiment to pin their hopes on strong quarterly reports later this week.

On Wall St overnight, stocks closed with modest gains after upbeat earnings from companies including Halliburton outweighed weaker homebuilding data.

Santos has announced that is has secured a loan facility worth $2 billion from nine banks as it pushes ahead with its projects for liquefied natural gas in spite of the previous week’s environmental holdup.

The growth in the number of Melbourne-Sydney passengers in May is because of the come back of business travellers, according to federal government figures released yesterday.

Stephen Robertson, Minister for Mines and Energy, has announced that he will attend discussions regarding water contamination concerns in the South Burnett region of Queensland.

No wonder the board of private hospital operator and pathology group, Healthscope, have grabbed the $6.26 a share takeov...

No wonder the board of private hospital operator and pathology group, Healthscope, have grabbed a rich $6.26 a share tak...

The National Australia Bank is persisting with its attempts to buy AXA Asia Pacific Holdings, in the face of its contin...

Melbourne-based listed investment company, Djerriwarrh Investments (DJW) Ltd has posted a lower annual profit of $25 mil...

The proposed $700 million Tropicana gold project of AngloGold Ashanti in Western Australia is a step closer to happenin...

Shares in Sundance Resources naturally fell yesterday after a month long suspension in the wake the death of its entire ...

Wall Street bungled its way to a gain last night but after-the-bell earnings from IBM disappointed, putting pressure on tonight's trade. Dow up 56.

TPG and Carlyle will pay Healthscope $2.7 billion, the largest takeover offer for from a private equity concern in more than four years, for Australia's second-largest hospital owner.

The US National Homebuilders Association housing sentiment index eased from +16 to a 15-month low of +14 in July.

The Australian Dollar opens marginally higher against the greenback this morning at 0.8675.

After almost 50 years of attachment on Australia’s foremost media group, John B Fairfax is set to retire from the board of Sydney-based Fairfax Media Ltd (ASX: FXJ) as the company announced on Monday that the long-time board member would waive re-election bid for this year’s annual general meeting.

Singapore-based commodity trader Olam International Ltd. has expressed plans to buy into NZ Farming Systems Uruguay Ltd. offering NZ$109.6 million ($77 million).

Foodbank has hit a record high for donations, receiving over 2.3 million kg of food from Woolworths over the past 12 months, thanks to a 'reverse logistics' initiative to reroute non-saleable products from the supermarket's outlets.The initiative brings non-saleable products from 825 metro and count...

The 2010 Nielsen Convenience and Impulse Report suggests a 'softened' convenience and impulse market, with a modest sales growth of 3.3%, and sales down by 0.5% from the quarter to the same period last year."While the usual suspects including carbonated beverages, ice cream, snack foods, cigarettes,...

UK-based online retailer Edible has made a specialty out of unusual and sometimes daunting foods, specialising in unusal delicacies and weird epicurean delights.Featuring departments for insects, aphrodisiacs, carnivores, herbivores, herbs and spices, apothecary products and even an English Garden c...

New Zealand dairy has drawn attention from international buyers, with Singapore-based agribusiness and food ingredients group Olam International making a takeover bid for NZ Farming Systems Uruguay, and China's Bright Food Group buying a 51% share in Synlait.Bright Food's NZ$82 million purchase of t...

The Australian central bank has signalled that interest rates may be held steady over the next few months, if inflation data which is to be released next week is in line with forecasts. “The important question for the board at its next meeting would be whether the new information materially change...