POLITICS & POLICY

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has reiterated this week his view that sending refugee boats to Indonesia is the best way to deal with asylum seekers wishing to reach Australian shores.

Extreme weather conditions in September that brought about heavy rains in areas surrounding its mines had slashed by 20 percent the gold production of Newcrest Mining Ltd., the country's largest gold mining company.

China's deepening appetite to buy and horde gold certainly has a reason, maybe even a lot, that more than meets the naked eye.

Analysts said on Tuesday that chance are higher that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will cut the overnight cash rate based on result of the Producer Price Index (PPI), not so much on the European sovereign debt crisis.

Despite a disappointing start to the week yesterday, the All Ordinaries index (XAO) is up 0.4 pct to 18.3 pts to 4305.9 with most sectors trading higher. The traditionally defensive healthcare sector is one of the worst performing areas of the market with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare index down 0.44 pct or 34.6 pts to 7857.1.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard could be forced out of office base on her previous links to the alleged wrongdoing committed by New South Wales MP Craig Thomson.

From Morrison Securities Pty. Ltd.: U.S. stocks edged lower, jeopardizing the Dow's four-session climb, as investors mulled the sustainability of this year's rally and watched Europe for developments connected to the region's ongoing debt issues.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 18.21 points, or 0.1%, to 12702 in afternoon trading.

Bell FX Currency Outlook:The AUD has risen to a 3 month high overnight, hitting USD 1.0570, as renewed optimism out of the European region sees an increase in demand for the riskier AUD.

The coming Chinese New Year is the Year of the Dragon, also known to others as the 'Black Dragon' or 'Water Dragon.'

After three straight weeks of gains, the Australian sharemarket has kicked off the new trading week in the red. The All Ordinaries index (XAO) fell by 0.4 pct or 15.4 pts to 4287.6. The industrial and utility sectors managed to rise slightly but all other regions of the market ended the day in the red.

Come March, exactly a year after the country yielded to the debilitating 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, ultimately rendering the worst nuclear power plant meltdown the world has seen in 25 years, Japan will most likely announce a new set of options for its energy mix. One, presumably, that is not focused on nuclear power alone.

Newmont Mining has yet to commence its Hope Bay operations in Canada, but it is now bullish to expand within the mine area and tap new reserves within the area.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has maintained that turning down the proposed gambling reform bill espoused by Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie was the right thing to do at this time, despite the latter's decision to cut ties with the Labor-led government.

The Australian sharemarket is losing ground for only the second time in five sessions, with the All Ordinaries index (XAO) down by a modest 0.2 pct or 8.8 pts to 4294.2. The mining and financial sectors are lower which is dragging the rest of the market into the red. Both sectors combined make up more than 60 pct of the XAO.

The Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) for Exploration and Research of India has expanded its exploration activities to include rare earth metals, especially niobium and tantalum, in central India, particularly in the Satpuda-Gondwana formations in the Sarguja belt.

India's Essar Group announced it will divert some of its coal from one of its Indonesian mines to help the world's third-largest economy cope with its fluctuating power supply brought about by acute coal shortages.

Eastern African nation Tanzania could well perhaps be the next frontier of rare earth elements as it waits on the formal announcement of a mining exploration firm currently operating on the Ngualla Rare Earth Project in the southern part of the country.

It seems China's policy changes proved good to sustain the country's economy as its Ministry of Finance on Friday announced the fiscal revenue of the world's second-largest economy jumping 24.8 percent to $1.64 trillion (10.37 trillion yuan) in 2011 from a year ago.

The Indian government is planning to include in next year's budget a line-up of incentives to encourage the country's iron ore miners to conserve the raw commodity for domestic use.

A down-on-her-luck South Carolina homeowner is jailed for refusing to clean up her junk-filled front yard. Upon her release, good samaritans step in to help make things more aesthetically pleasing.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd called on China to consider halting its oil purchases from Iran in deference to efforts by the international community of pressuring Tehran to abandon its nuclear program.

MIDDAY REPORT (12pm AEDT)At lunch time, The Australian share market is climbing higher, with the All Ordinaries index (XAO) up 20 points to 4,299. Most sectors are holding up ok, the miners strong after higher commodity prices over night and banks getting a buzz from strong results from key financial firms in the U.S. overnight. However the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples sector is off around 0.2 pct, with major food and liquor retailers losing ground.

The Australian Dollar has opened firmer against the greenback trading back above USD1.0400 after seeing a low of USD1.0368 overnight.

For emerging markets China and India, everybody can gain access to gold, not only the already rich but also its hardworking middle class citizens.

The Australian sharemarket was improving for almost the duration of the session and at one point was close to 1 pct higher. In the last two minutes of trade, shares pulled back by just a few points with the ASX 200 index down 0.1 pct or 3.1 pts to 4214.8.

It won't be long before a Chinese flag hovers over at the Arctic.China, the world's second-largest economy and stronghold of the world's supply of rare earths, has just gained legal access into the Arctic region after Denmark opened the gate for the Asian nation to create a strategic foothold in the area, particularly in Greenland.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has reiterated on Thursday his plans of pulling out some $500 million worth of subsidies committed by Prime Minister Julia Gillard to the Australian car industry if the Coalition assumes government power.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is seeking to further fatten its existing resources, a move that according to IMF managing director Christine Lagarde will provide sufficient buffer in the event a serious downturn will develop from the ongoing Euro crisis.

The question looming amid the maddening eurozone financial crisis now is, will the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations consider lending a helping hand to a world that has yet to officially and formally recognise its economic hold in the global market today?