POLITICS & POLICY

Tamils in Australia were frustrated after Attorney-General Robert McClelland disallowed war crimes charges against visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to proceed citing his diplomatic immunity.

A U.S.-made nuclear bomb that is 600 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped in Hiroshima during World War II was dismantled in Texas on Tuesday.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian dollar has opened trading around the USD1.0430 level this morning after another choppy session in the offshore markets.

Two recent decisions highlight the differing outcomes for employees who criticise their employers on social media sites outside working hours. In O'Keefe v Williams Muir's Pty Ltd T/A Troy Williams The Good Guys [2011] FWA 5311, a decision of Fair Work Australia delivered on 11 August 2011, a Townsville worker who was dismissed after making insulting and aggressive comments about his employer on Facebook lost his claim.

In the aftermath of the strongest earthquake to hit their country in over a decade, the government of Turkey has reportedly refused international assistance. The death toll from the quake is already at 279, according to the prime minister's office, while an estimated 1,300 people have been injured.

The online group GetUp has launched a campaign calling on the Australian government to return to its policy position of treating refugees and asylum seekers humanely, as outlined in the 2008 speech by former Immigration Minister Chris Evans, “New Directions in Detention.”

The impression that leaders of European nations are on the verge of closing an agreement regarding the leveraging of a rescue fund and approaching a final plan on bank recapitalization has resulted in upbeat reactions within global markets.

In a development that would encourage people to believe in miracles, a 2-wk-old baby was rescued from the rubble in the aftermath of Sunday’s earthquake in Turkey. Baby Azra Karaduman was in the rubble for 48 hours since the earthquake. The baby’s mother, Seniha, was crutching the infant in her arms when rescuers found them.

In a miraculous turn of events, rescuers rejoiced in Turkey after safely pulling out a 2-weeks-old baby from the earthquake rubble in Ercis. Baby Azra Karaduman was wrapped in her mother's arms when she was found. Her mother and grandmother were also rescued in a 2-hr interval.

A Sydney man, who is suspected to have raped three male students in Indonesia, has been surrendered to Indonesian authorities last week. The Indonesian government has requested for his extradition since 2008, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Uncertainty over how much progress European leaders are making in these debt talks is likely to dominate trading today. The more cyclical stocks are likely to struggle, after financial names led markets lower overnight. Financials leading the falls is symptomatic of disappointment in European talks to avert a crisis. This theme is likely to extend to our local banks. Apart from gold, most metals were weaker, which is likely to see our miners struggle. Oil was a surprise gainer in a risk-off sess...

U.S. stocks pushed lower Tuesday afternoon as hopes for a big solution to Europe's debt crisis waned following the cancellation of a scheduled meeting for European Union finance ministers. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 134 points, or 1.1%, to 11779. The losses come after the blue-chip Dow rose more than 400 points over the last three trading days.

MORNING REPORT (7am AEDT)In the US, the Case Shiller home price series for 20 cities was flat in seasonally adjusted terms in August but up 0.2pct in unadjusted terms. Home prices are down 3.8pct on a year ago. The consumer confidence index fell from 46.4 to a 30-month low of 39.8 in October. The Richmond Fed manufacturing index was unchanged at -6 in October.

Queen Elizabeth's royal visit to Brisbane for a tribute to flood victims drew tens of thousands of supporters, but one man's inappropriate display did not send Britons over the moon.

Janet Jackson best known for her role in "The Jacksons" and her relation to the greatest entertainer of all time - Michael Jackson, has chosen to take a load of from the stage and postpone her October 27 Melbourne Concert: Number Ones - Up Close and Personal .

Will Pippa Middleton be the next bride of the family? Boyfriend Alex Loudon is said to be looking for the perfect ring.

Prince Harry locks his target not on the fields of his pilot training in the US but on an American girl in a nightclub. The lucky young woman is reportedly a look-a-like of his brother's wife, Kate Middleton.

Everything Catherine wears sells out in seconds. Now Calvin Klein head shares the same interest of wanting to dress the Duchess of Cambridge.

As the political and economic arbitration intensified in the EU, other nations around the globe remained wary of possible effects of the European crisis.

Heirs to the British crown should be given equal opportunity to ascend to the throne regardless of their gender and religious belief, according to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who also threw her support behind a spirited campaign to revise outdated royal succession rules.

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Deputy Governor Ric Battellino hinted on Tuesday that the Australian central bank may lower the cash rate. He said that the release on Wednesday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics of the consumer price index (CPI) would be a key for the RBA to determine easing monetary policy.

Thailand's efforts to completely block floodwaters from reaching the capital Bangkok had been unsuccessful as the strong currents broke through barriers at Pin Klao area in Thon Buri that has been keeping the outpouring of the Chao Phraya River.

Overseas travelers arriving and leaving on Thursday face clearance delay at international airports as customs officers will go on strike again for 24 hours over a pay dispute with the government.

The Australian Defence Force Investigation Service is investigating why a sailor aboard HMAS Toowoomba died from a gunshot wound in his cabin while the frigate was docked at Mumbai port in India.

An indictment for war crimes charges greeted Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he arrived in Australia on Monday.

WikiLeaks no longer has money to operate and may shut down by December if cash donations does not come in soon, its founder Julian Assange announced in a press conference in London on Monday.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The AUD has risen to a six-week high overnight on the back of strong gains in commodities and continued optimism on an impending solution for Europe.

U.S. stocks jumped Monday, pushing the Nasdaq Composite into positive territory for the year and the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index to the cusp of it, though stocks moved off session highs in late trade. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 78 points, or 0.7%, to 11889 in late afternoon action. Caterpillar was leading blue chips, gaining 4.8% after the maker of construction and mining equipment reported third-quarter earnings that beat expectations and raised its outlook for the year....

A reading on the Chinese manufacturing sector lifted sharply in the latest month. HSBC´s China Flash PMI rose from 49.9 to 51.1 in October. Any reading above 50 suggests stronger growth in the manufacturing sector.