POLITICS & POLICY

Patterns pointing to an El Niño weather phenomenon happening this year have started to emerge, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said on Tuesday. At present, ongoing surface temperatures at the Pacific Ocean point to levels of a weak El Niño.

Although still a relatively weak storm as of Wednesday, weather forecasters have advised residents off the U.S. East Coast. and Canada's Maritimes to brace for a wet weather this coming July 4th weekend.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has made new year to date highs following yesterday’s RBA meeting.

Increasing storm frequency, ocean temperatures and rising sea levels triggered by climate change are making U.S. military installations vulnerable and if actions aren't done to mitigate it, the country's military's readiness for combat could cave in.

The Malaysian government has asked New Zealand to drop the sex charge against its envoy in the country, Muhammad Rizalman Ismail. According to official documents, Malaysia "refused" to waive diplomatic immunity.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is under detention in Paris by authorities for questioning over alleged corruption, specifically influence peddling.

Controversial Canada politician Rob Ford called himself his “own worst enemy” when he is under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

The Australian government will brood over Brunei’s harsh Sharia Law ahead of Trans-Pacific Partnership

An unnamed diplomat has escaped his sexual assault charges in New Zealand by claiming diplomatic immunity. The details of the case, including the diplomat’s identity and home country, were suppressed by a judge.

The New Zealand government is under pressure to name the diplomat accused of assaulting a young woman and identify his home country. According to Prime Minister John Key, a court suppression order is blocking the government to reveal the identity of the diplomat who has now left New Zealand.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: With the AUD trading in familiar ranges, the focus will be on the RBA's post-meeting statement released at 14:30AEST today.

A new study released by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has said the maddening climate change will drive the iconic emperor penguins to extinction by end of the century.

A kid aged ten is the youngest to have volunteered to fight with the Sunni extremist group, the ISIS

Australia Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has remained silent on the details regarding reports of an asylum seeker boat stranded about 175 nautical miles from Christmas Island. Morrison only said the issue was not a "significant event" and therefore not worthy of comment.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott may risk being isolated from other G20 economies should the climate change agenda push through. According to media reports, Mr Abbott's popularity and approval ratings have plummeted due to a "tough" budget and the government's climate change policy.

Officials from a select group of pariah states have been included into a list of "persona non grata" as Canada observes its national day on July 1.

Australian teens aged 17 and 16 were believed to have crossed the border to fight with the ISIS in Iraq.

Officials from a select group of pariah states have been included into a list of "persona non grata" as Canada observes its national day on July 1.

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck off near the uninhabited islands of the South Sandwich Islands far off South America in the South Atlantic Ocean early Sunday, the US Geological Survey said.

Controversial Canadian politician Rob Ford, who has been in rehab for a couple of months, is expected to return on Monday, June 30.

A woman died in Central Coast due to USB charger electrocution

Canadian food retailer Sobeys and its parent company Empire Co. will be closing 50 stores all across the country due to underperformance. Majority of the closing stores are located in Western Canada.

The New Zealand Bankers' Association has expressed its support for Justice Minister Judith Collin's anti-corruption bill to deter domestic and international organised crime. The proposed new law would require banks to report international wire transfers of more than $1,000. The association said the bill can help maintain New Zealand's reputation overseas.

Faced with a dilemma of possible delayed shipments of grain by rail this spring, Canada has been forced to review its existing transportation laws a year ahead of schedule.

The World Meteorological Organisation, the UN's weather agency experts, has placed at 80 per cent the chances of an El Niño weather event recurring in the Pacific Ocean by year-end, between October and November.

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant that got crippled by a tsunami in March 2011 after a magnitude 9 earthquake struck Japan's shores, has voted down motions to permanently close all its atomic plant projects during its annual general meeting on Thursday.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has consolidated above 94 cents after a quiet session.

The Australian Senate will vote on the proposed repeal of the Labor government-initiated carbon tax sometime between July 7 and 15. Prime Minister Tony Abbott expressed confidence on Thursday that the legislation would pass following his meeting with Clive Palmer who agreed to support the measure.

In what many described as a surprising turn of events, Al Gore has announced he is backing climate change sceptic and Australian PUP leader Cliver Palmer in a press conference in Canberra.