ECONOMY

For those whose homes and properties were spared from the raging and equally ravaging bushfires that continue to devour states in Australia, reclaiming normalcy in their lives after the fire may start off far better than most. But health experts see this is far from the case.

Barry O'Farrell, NSW Premier, announced that the fire crisis in NSW "hasn't gone away" and that residents should remain cautious and vigilant of their properties and surroundings.

World Housing Markets Q3 2012: Europe in the Eye of the Storm

Arguably, any plan of any government to raise prices of commodities automatically creates pandemonium on its voting populace. But in Australia, the proposal to increase the prices of cigarettes has been considered a welcome move. Apart from the end goal of increasing the national government's coffers, the plan could help severe the rising number of lung cancer deaths in the country brought by excessive smoking.

Long holidays like the just-ended Christmas and New Year season is a welcome development for most workers because it allowed them rest from job-related stress.

Australian Olympic boxer Damien Hooper got himself embroiled in a tight fix during the weekend after a night of clubbing at a Queensland nightclub.One of the country's finest boxers is now facing charges before a court of law because of a gruesome night of misbehaving.

A month after Australia implemented the nationwide plain tobacco packaging law, the state of New South Wales has leveled up the anti-smoking campaign by prohibiting smoking in public places. The new anti-smoking law became effective on Monday, January 7.

Latest data showed a surprising drop in activity in the UK services sector. The visible decline in the services sector in December is the first decrease in about two years. The fall raises fears that the UK economy might enter triple-dip recession.

Amidst her personal and legal battles, Gina Rinehart has raked in tremendous windfalls in the past two years that would largely support her stature as the world’s richest woman.

Yesterday, Dan promised to write more about lead and the deflationary prophecies of John Exter. I've muscled in on today's Daily Reckoning, and will be here tomorrow too, so make sure you read the weekend edition for Dan's follow up from yesterday.

China's manufacturing activity surprisingly expanded at the fastest rate in approximately 19 month, according to a key manufacturing index released on the 31st of December.

2012 Christmas was marked by growing economic concerns of Britons. Uncertain economic conditions affected U.K. customers' shopping spree during this holiday season. According to a survey conducted by consumer's association Which?, nearly half of U.K. customers drastically cut back on 2012 Christmas spending and made credit purchases.

Central Planners are the Reason Why the US Economy is Broke

With only a few hours left until New Year's Eve, France might to be in a Champagne mood as sales of its world-known sparkling wine are decreasing in Europe amid the European debt crisis.

Transactions paid through credit cards may soon become a bygone era in Australia as telco carriers in the land Down Under study the possibility of enabling consumers to pay for purchased goods by using one's very own mobile phone or tablet.

Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and South China Sea Institute of Oceanology researchers blamed China's economic boom for the shrinkage by at least 80 per cent of coral reefs in the region over the past three decades.

Australia's new plain tobacco packaging law seems to have been implemented just in the nick of time to persuade smokers to come up with a healthier New Year 2013 resolution after having been exposed to the vivid graphic images of the potential effects of smoking to one's health.

As expected, Australian shoppers filled up shopping malls on Wednesday, Boxing Day, for reduced prices of items which saved buyers an estimated $600 million across the country.

The state of Queensland's Barrier Aviation airline has been grounded by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) after the airliner has been found to contain "serious and known defects." Effectively immediately, the suspension will last for five working days.

With the end-of-the-world scenario now over, Australians would likely be able to concentrate on the Christmas and New Year celebrations, which would mean a lot of food preparations. It also means a lot of wasted food. Throughout the year, Aussies waste $8 billion worth of food, said a study by Do Something!, released on Sunday. Based on an estimated volume of four million tonnes of food thrown away yearly, Do Something! founder John Dee reckoned the value of per capita wastage at $1,036.

Mobile costumers of Telstra who were ripped off with excessive global roaming charges are set to receive refunds from the telecoms carrier.

Nokia, the world's leader in mobile phones for over 10 years, has been beaten by Korea's Samsung to become the preferred mobile phone for 2012.

Facebook, after losing millions in its failed IPO, has started to implement in the United States the $1 trial run of its paid messaging system scheme, where non-friends who want to contact you must pay in order for their messages land in your Inbox folder rather than in the Other folder.

How lucky for those new students entering the University of Western Sydney in 2013 as the school had committed to issue iPads to support the school's IT-related teaching curriculum.

On the 17th of December, the National Association for Business Economics released its forecast, indicating that the U.S. economy would probably see a moderate growth in 2013. Analysts underline that the modest growth will be pushed mainly by a recovery in housing sector which will balance visible weaknesses in business investment though. Also the U.S. job market will pick up slightly in the coming year, according to the survey.

In just three days after it was launched on December 14, Apple's iPhone 5 had swept China by storm, with over 2 million units already sold, and still counting.

Clothing retailer Cotton On has been slapped on Tuesday with a $1 million fine for selling highly combustible fire hazard children's nightwear.

In various parts of the world, people are getting anxious over the supposed end of the world on Friday, December 21, 2012. But to the very descendants of the Mayan culture who supposedly predicted the world's annihilation, they will face the end of the calendar and change of times with calm and serenity.

Bus commuters in Sydney may now have some luxury of time, so to speak, as the state government of New South Wales released on Monday new real time bus smartphone apps that would enable them to track just how far away their next bus is from the station.