The gold production of Australia improved by 4 per cent in the second quarter of 2012 to 65 metric tonnes from 62.5 tonnes in the first quarter. However, total first half production went down 4 per cent to 261 tonnes partly due to wet weather.
Several years ago, drug giant Pfizer Inc. tried to pull a fast one in Jamaica where several local companies were legally distributing generic versions of Pfizer's formerly-patented blood pressure drug Norvasc (Amlodipine). Though the drug was already off-patent elsewhere, Pfizer still tried to sue the distributors in Jamaica for patent infringement, and is now being summoned to fork over about $1 billion.
It's a bit shocking that until the last year or so, Australia managed to run a trade deficit during a resource boom. The tables below from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade show that from May 2004 to June 2008 - a period during which the All Ordinaries went up 98%, from 3,401 to a high of 6,760 - Australia recorded a trade deficit in 51 consecutive months. We even wrote about a longer streak of 75 consecutive months of trade deficits at the time.
Christian Louboutin, the world-known French shoemaker, won a trademark protection for its women's shoes with red soles and different colored tops.
It is not only Australia that has been negatively affected by the slowdown in the Chinese economy which resulted in a drop in iron ore prices in the world market.
Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said on Sunday that he is expecting the Australian air carrier would break even on its international operations by 2015 with help from the agreement it signed last week with Middle East carrier Emirates.
Unidentified bandits have snatched millions of dollars' worth of maple syrup from the global strategic maple reserve near Montreal, Quebec, according to new reports.
What happened since we left you, Fellow Reckoner? Ah, yes. The Fed concluded its back-slapping fête in Jackson Hole on Friday, with The Bernank going way out on a thin limb:
It is estimated that 85 percent of buying decisions are influenced by visual perception, specifically color. As a merchant, you can use color to increase sales and improve your customers' levels of satisfaction.
The Australian sharemarket improved for the third time this week, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) rising by 0.4 pct or 17.2 pts to 4348.8. The gains over the last few days have helped the local market break a two week losing streak.
Mexico has been forced to reduce supplies of natural gas to several of its biggest consumers by almost as much as 45 percent in order to keep up with the increasing demand from steelmakers like Arcelor Mittal and Ternium SA to households.
Baidu Inc., which is China's dominant search engine, has informed that it plans to invest approximately 10 billion yuan, or $1.6 billion, in a cloud computing centre. In addition, the company is creating a Baidu's mobile browser to help secure its share in a mobile Internet market.
Local stocks are moving higher for a second consecutive session in early trade, on the back of positive offshore moves after the European Central Bank announced plans to tackle the Eurozone crisis head on. The ECB agreed to launch a new bond buying program, designed to restrain borrowing costs for embattled nations. The move saw investors willing to take on more risk overnight, sending European shares higher and Wall Street finish at a four year high. At lunchtime in the East, the All Ordinaries...
eMedia Asia Limited, the joint venture subsidiary of Global Sources, has come up with a unique application called eeWeibo that is able to sort through millions of Sina Weibo posts to provide significant and real-time mobile content to professionals employed in mainland China's electronics sector.
- Fortescue's expansion deferral impacts on NRW's revenue forecasts- Brokers do not see guidance reduction as material- NRW offers service diversification and a very good yieldBy Greg PeelMining and energy services provider NRW Holdings ((NWH)) has completed discussion with Fortescue Metal...
By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 244 points or 1.9% while the S&P gained 2.0% to 1432 and the Nasdaq jumped 2.
The Australian sharemarket improved for the second time this week, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) jumping by 0.8 pct or 33.9 pts to 4331.6. Healthcare stocks lost modest ground while all other sectors ended the day higher. The consumer discretionary, mining and energy sectors were the best performers.
The China Development Bank (CDB), one of the nation's three policy banks known primarily for making big loans to other state-owned entities, has begun lending large amounts of cash to private firms around Asia, reported the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, while other banks cut back on lending amid the present economic climate.
U.S. fast food giant McDonald's will open its first ever vegetarian-only restaurant in India by the middle of next year,
Local stocks are rising in early trade, with investors seemingly more willing to take on risk ahead of tonight's European Central Bank meeting in Brussels. A fall in the unemployment rate to 5.1pct is also helping sentiment. At 12.15pm AEST, the All Ords is up 37.9pts or 0.9pct to 4335.6.
The Australian dollar still remains under pressure, trading under 1.0200 as iron ore prices continue to weaken.
By Loriano Mancini, Angelo Ranaldo and Jan WrampelmeyerThe foreign exchange market facilitates international trade and investment and is central to the global financial system.
Risk assets were mixed through Europe and US trade ahead of the ECB press conference later today. The euro spiked on reports that the ECB will undertake an unlimited and sterilised buying of sovereign debt with maturities of up to three years, but would refrain from setting yield caps. EUR/USD advanced to a high of 1.2625 and remains sidelined above 1.26.
The US Redbook weekly chain store sales index was up 2.5pct on a year ago, ahead of the 1.5pct annual gain in the previous week. US productivity grew at a 2.2pct annual pace in the June quarter while labour costs rose at a 1.5pct annual rate.
By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 11 points or 0.1%, while the S&P fell 0.1% to 1403 and the Nasdaq lost 0.
Local stocks closed in the red for a second consecutive session today, with losses generally broad-based. Disappointing US manufacturing data released overnight weighed on global sentiment, while the upcoming European Central Bank meeting has also added an air of caution; giving investors in Europe a reason to sell. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) closed down 27.9pts or 0.6pct to 4297.7 after hitting an intra-day low of 4281.5.
The Australian sharemarket is losing ground for the second time this week and for the sixth time in eight sessions. Global markets ended in the red, with particular weakness flowing through to European equities (shares). Shares in Germany dropped by 1.2 pct and Moody's, one of the big three ratings agencies put the European Union's Aaa credit rating on negative watch. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is down 0.9 pct or 41 pts to 4284.6.
Pakistan accepted on Tuesday night 22,000 Australian sheep stranded at sea for two weeks after Bahrain rejected the shipment over fears the animals are sick of orf or scabby mouth disease.
Source: Sally Lowder of The Critical Metals Report (8/28/12)http://www.theaureport.com/pub/na/14208Far from icebound, Greenland is wealthy in rare earth elements, precious metals and oil.
Royal Dutch Shell has been given an approval by the U.S. government to begin limited oil drilling in Alaska's Chukchi Sea. Shell had been waiting long for the approval, which kept it from tapping Arctic oil.
