COMPANIES

Leighton Holdings Ltd said on Thursday that it has been awarded two infrastructure projects in India worth $US550 million or $A653.5 million, with the construction work on Chenani-Nashri road tunnel alone being valued at $US500 million.

Australian mining firm Indophil Resources NL has committed to continue developing its Tampakan copper-gold project in the Philippines.

The Australian Competition Tribunal on Wednesday ordered BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, the second- and third-largest iron ore exporters, to share their multibillion-dollar infrastructure in the Pilbara to others.

Discount supermarket chain Franklins has been acquired by its wholesale supplier, Metcash Trading Ltd, in an unsolicited $215 million offer to its current owner, South African chain Pick n Pay.The sale, pending approval from the ACCC, will also bring to an end all current litigation between the two ...

The Federal Government has given the green light to apple imports from China today, following a recommendation by Biosecurity Australia.Fears of infestation by the spotted-wing fruit fly, Drosophila suzukii, a pest present in China and indigenous to south-east Asia, have caused concern among Austral...

Nestlé announced yesterday that it will invest CHF 40 million (A$44.6 million) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as the DRC, over the next three years.The Democratic Republic of the Congo remains one of the world's most unstable nations. The mineral-rich country was the centre of ...

As many as 200 employees of Australian banking major Westpac could stand to benefit from a plan which proposes to pay super on unpaid parental leave to the lenders permanent staff.The first such measure to be adopted by an Australian bank would affect all group companies of Westpac, which include St...

Volatile global financial markets that plunged in the aftermath of the European sovereign default crisis have consumed the highly anticipated bounce in super fund returns.The drop in financial markets is likely to result in investment earnings falling below double digits for the financial year, endi...

STW Communication Group Ltd reaffirmed on Wednesday its guidance of double-digit net profit growth for 2010 as it expressed confidence that the company remains on track to deliver much solid performance for the half year leading to June 30.

Downer EDI has rejected all claims that it is fidgeting with its operational funds to lift its end-of-year accounts.

Perth-based Macmahon Holdings announced today that as an alliance consortium member, it has been awarded a $50 million share of a $112 million rail contract extension by the New South Wales Government.

More than 200 experienced dairy workers will get laid off after National Foods announced that it would shut down its western Sydney plant.

Declaring that negotiations with the mining industry members are "good," Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard will likely unveil a compromise with the sector on its planned tax measures.

Telstra Corporation Ltd, the Australian telecoms giant, has defended its intentions of offering exclusive content via Foxtel, provider of pay television, asserting that the deal was done at “arm’s length” and rejecting claims of non-competition reported by Fairfax.

Multinational mining and resources group Rio Tinto will exercise warrants to acquire shares of Ivanhoe Mines, expanding its interest to 30 per cent for about $US393 million.

Northern Star Resources has signed a new deal with Intrepid Mines for Paulsens Gold Mine after renegotiating the offer to $40 million, an increase of $13 million.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard will make an announcement on July 2 regarding a possible election in August, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. cited on its website.

Joining a string of Australian companies to suffer in Britain, Tatts Group is finally conceding a huge write-down of its Talarius poker machine business.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mark Butler today announced the phase out by major retailers of baby bottles containing Bisphenol A (BPA).The voluntary phase out by the Wesfarmers group (Coles, K Mart and Target), and retailers Woolworths, Big W and Aldi is the result of months of constructive di...

SABMiller, one of the world's leading brewers, is providing an education for children of sugar cane workers in Honduras.Cerveceria Hondurena, SABMiller's Honduran subsidiary, set up the ‘Azunosa' school with the aim of trying to ensure that the sugarcane fields which supply its soft drinks operati...

The Australian Stock Exchange, which with ASIC acts as a corporate regulator says it intends to monitor portfolio and mutual fund managers closely, as it seeks to stamp out the practice of window dressing.

Allied Gold of Australia has been granted a $US35 million or $A40 million loan by the World Bank to finance the redevelopment of the Gold Ridge Mine in Solomon Islands, which was abandoned following a violent ethnic fighting 10 years ago.

Amidst global incidence of safety recalls, Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker, said on Monday that its worldwide sales jumped by 13.4 percent year-on-year in May following upswings in motor vehicle demand which further pushed the much-awaited recovery of the Japanese auto industry.

Campbell Brothers Ltd said on Tuesday that it is positively en route to post a high half-year underlying net profit of $63 million, owing to much better trading conditions and strong outputs contributed by acquired Pearlstreet and Ecowise.

The share market was in positive territory by early afternoon with banks and miners leading the way after the exchange opened lower today.

Rio Tinto shareholders are still likely to refuse the $US116 billion iron-ore joint venture with BHP in the Pilbara, according to Royal Bank of Scotland analysts.

Stirling Resources announced on Tuesday that company chief executive Michael Kiernan is set to relinquish his post, paving the way for the resources investment firm and its Austrian financiers to hunt for fresh bloods that would fill up its new management roster.

Tiger Airways announced Monday that passengers without check-in baggage would incur a $10 charge starting July 1 but the airline reminded travellers that such fees could be dodged if they opt to check-in online prior to their flight.

Asian markets have started with an early rebound on Tuesday led by finance and mobile phone makers. Its disclosure that it will buy back shares allowed Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. to gain 1.7 percent. Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Co., on the other hand, rallied 1.2 percent after it reported that its unit NTT Finance Corp. expects its first operating profit in three years.