COMPANIES

Labor Shortage Threatens to Cripple Australian Mining

Recent labor market research shows Australia’s $427-billion worth of resource projects will struggle to survive the crippling labour and skills shortage. Resource industry employer group AMMA says only a united front from all tiers of government can alleviate the imminent threat to many prospective workplaces.

CSL to Buy Back A$900m Shares

After finalizing some fresh debt from banks and U.S. private investors, CSL Limited, the world's second biggest blood products maker, said it plans to buy back A$900 million of its shares.

Virgin Australia Boosts Capacity amid Qantas Strike

Virgin Australia announced on Wednesday it would provide additional capacity over the coming months to meet market requirements and to minimize the impact of ongoing Qantas industrial action on the Australian travel and tourism industry.
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Rio Tinto Lets Go of $8B Aluminum Group

Following a strategic review, Rio Tinto said 13 assets will be divested at an appropriate point in the future, and some of these will be managed separately in the meantime.

Bus Drivers Agree to Lift Ban, State Transit Says Buses are ‘Safe’

The bus drivers union agreed on Tuesday night to an Industrial Relations Commission order to lift a ban on gas-powered buses in Sydney. The explosion of a gas-powered bus prompted public bus drivers to raise their protest by refusing to get on the road, resulting in huge inconvenience among Sydney passengers at peak hour Tuesday.

Australian Stock Market Report - Closing - 10/18/2011

AFTERNOON REPORT (4.30pm AEDT)Local stocks managed to erase all of yesterday's gains during Tuesday's session, with fear and caution again at the forefront of investors' minds. Overnight, sentiment wasn't helped by negative commentary from Germany's Finance Minister who warned it was unrealistic to expect a definitive solution to the European debt crisis at this weekend's European Union summit.

iPhone 4s: Top Five Customer Complaints

Apple's new iPhone 4s has reportedly sold over 4 million units three days after its launch but that record-breaking figure doesn't mean that everyone is enjoying Apple's latest smartphone. Although early reviews have been positive there have been several notable problems with the iPhone 4s. Here's a brief rundown on the top five iPhone 4s issues.

Carbon Dioxide Capture System Receives Funding Boost

Ground breaking new technology for the capture of carbon dioxide from power stations will be tested by Process Group at Hazelwood Power Station following a grant from Brown Coal Innovation Australia (BCIA).

Telstra Shareholders Pass $11B NBN Deal

Shareholders of Telstra have agreed and voted in favor of the $11 billion deal with the Australian government, allowing Telstra's fixed-line dominance be used by the NBN Company.

Australian Stock Market Report - MIDDAY - 10/18/2011

MIDDAY REPORT (12pm AEDT)The Australian sharemarket is down 1.6 pct or 71.5 pts to 4266.4, effectively wiping out all of yesterday's impressive gains. Markets tumbled overnight due to concerns that the European debt solution might fall short of expectations.

Google Buzz Goes Bust

Google Inc. has announced it will close down social networking site Google Buzz in the next few weeks to concentrate on building up its successor Google+.

More Australians Prone to Poverty: Report

The high cost of living is putting more low-income Aussies at risk of falling into poverty, a report says. Poorer households are compelled to spend more of their income on essential goods and services due to price hikes on these non-discretionary items, such as food and electricity, a report by St Vincent de Paul Society says. As a result, households' health and education expenses are delayed, if attended at all.

Apple iPhone 4S: Top 10 Apps for Your iOS 5 Device

If you're one of the lucky ones who were able to snag a new iPhone 4S or upgraded your existing Apple device to iOS 5, then you're probably wondering how fast you can fill up all those gigabytes of memory with apps. The Apple App Store has half a million apps available, so narrowing it down to what you really need can be a forbidding task.

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