POLITICS & POLICY

North Korea Leader Kim Jong Un’s final approval with the nuclear war on the United States led the social media web sites to react using funny or mocking images. Even hackers took over the North Korean social media accounts like “Twitter” and “Flickr” to publish compromised messages and photographs.

For Australia to reach its goal of having a 40 million population by 2050, it recognises the vital role that skilled migrants will play to fill in the gap that natural births could hardly meet.

Lowering the Australian voting age to 16 years old won't bear any significant political results, a study made by the Australian National University (ANU) showed.

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has auctioned off its Geelong refinery in Australia, sending anxieties to some 400 workers who risk to lose their jobs should the company fail to find a buyer.

With a current population of 1.4 billion, and still actively growing, not to mention an also increasing elderly population, China is getting headaches where to place its dead. Faced with the reality and problem of scarce land, the world's second-largest economy has started to pitch the option of sea burial to its citizens.

United Nations Chief, Ban Ki Moon has strongly condemns any use of nuclear weapons as he asserted in a statement following North Korea’s declaration of war against the South, noting that that the crisis may have already “gone too far.”

Bell FX, IG Markets Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar is trading near USD 1.0450 after a mixed session overnight. The AUDEUR will be closely watched today as local retail sales and building approvals, a good measure of returning consumer confidence, has been estimated to kick 0.3 per cent and 2.5 per cent higher, respectively and should provide more traction to the AUD.

Toro Energy, potentially Western Australia's first uranium miner, is now looking for joint partners to push through its planned uranium mine project in Wiluna town in the northern Goldfields.

China has begun to mobilize its military in the perimeters of the Korean peninsula after North Korea has put an end to any form relationship with South Korea and instead, declared entering into a "state of war" on March 11, 2013. U.S. officials said that the Chinese People's Liberation Army has increased its presence on the border with North Korea.

The University of Maryland at College Park (UMCP) and Lowell Observatory astronomers utilized NASA’s Swift Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) to observe the 2013 Comet C/2012 S1 ISON’s near-Earth approaching movement and composition. The Swift UVOT managed to capture an image of the comet which the space agency released to the public two days ago.

The water quality at South Australia's Adelaide beaches is now being questioned and might be subjected to quality testing following the surge of carcasses of dolphins, fish and penguins that have washed ashore in the recent days.

A very "fast-moving" band of rain has brought an unexpected large amount of rainfall, submerging Sydney's CBD in panic-gripping flash floods on Wednesday morning.

The Australian dollar has opened near USD 104.50 after an up-and-down offshore session.

Hong Kong-listed China Foods Ltd, consumer food arm of Cofco, China's largest state-owned food conglomerate, is eyeing to purchase wineries located in Australia and the United States, in an acquisition that could be worth at least $20 million.

Combined naval forces from Australia and Canada have seized some 500kg of heroin valued at $100 million from a boat in what could be one of global maritime history's biggest multi-national naval operation. The bust operation happened somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

What! The International Space Station has been invaded by an alien? People back on Earth got concerned for the team aboard the station, but eventually learned they were goofed because it was an invasion concocted no less than by renowned Chris Hadfield, Canadian astronaut and the commander of Expedition 35. Still all part of April Fool's day global phenomenon commemoration.

Bell FX, IG Markets Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has returned from the Easter break slightly better ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia announcement later today.

North Korea’s declaration of “state of war” against South Korea has been feared to spiral out of control, especially after its related threats thrown at its nemesis’ ally: the United States.

North Korea has declared “state of war” with South Korea, emphasising that the “long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula as finally over.” The declaration was made through Pyongyang’s Korea Central News Agency (KCNA). It also made some threats to dissolve the United States in a government statement read on Saturday, March 30.

Shares of Australia's largest gold producer, Newcrest Mining Ltd. (NCM), tumbled in Sydney on Friday to a four-year low after the mining firm slashed by 10 per cent its annual production guidance output.

The Human Rights Campaign on gay marriage showed its support with the sharing of a red equal sign image on numerous social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest. However, the symbol received mixed reactions from millions of social media users where some posted the Red Equal Sign to show support while the others shared funny images instead.

The bushfire that raged through Dereel in western Victoria on Thursday, although fanned by the continuing dry hot summer, may have been intentionally staged up, according to arson detectives.

The standoff between the Mongolian government and Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) is worth $303 million in a planned progressive royalty to be collected on the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine.

Bell FX, FXstreet, IG Markets Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar remains firm and trading USD 1.0500 heading into the start of the local trading day, but some bearish movement is seen going towards the Easter holiday.

Happy Easter! Oh, wait, it's April Fool's Day, too. Perhaps it's time for some funny tricks on your children's annual Easter Egg Hunt? Whatever you do, keep it light and keep your "targets" out of harm's way. If you're looking for some funny photos or memes to post to your social media page, start the slideshow and pick your favorite.

A fast-moving bushfire west of Melbourne has claimed several buildings, with at least 40 more houses under threat. Three firefighters and one resident have been reportedly injured.

Issues on funding as well as where to house the future development bank to rival the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have stalled the member nations of the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).

Chinese netizens are now wild with fury after reports with accompanying photographs showing a 7-month-old baby forcibly aborted out of his mother's womb by Chinese family planning authorities went viral over the weekend.

IG Markets, Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has maintained its overnight gains trading within the range of USD1.0489 to 1.0500 USD at the start of the trading day.