POLITICS & POLICY

Australian miner Northern Minerals had announced the discovery of heavy rare earth elements (HREE) at all four prospects of its Browns Range Project in northern Western Australia. It said its Wolverine prospect yielded the most outstanding HREE discovery.

Esther Tanquintic-Misa Nov 23, 2011

Nisio Gomes, a 59-year-old Indian chief and shaman of the Guarani Kaiowa tribe, was murdered by a group of heavily armed men in front of his community last Friday.

Luisa Crisostomo Nov 23, 2011

While the Australian Industry Group (AiG) recognizes the importance of road safety, the group opposes the planned establishment of a Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal.

Vittorio Hernandez Nov 23, 2011

Could the plans of China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co Ltd (CNMC) to increase its investment plans in Zambia assuage the mindset of the locals that the Asian country violates labor rights and laws?

Esther Tanquintic-Misa Nov 23, 2011

It seems that the Australian government will most likely win the legal battle filed against it by Philip Morris as experts predict they have the legal edge because intellectual property rights agreements give governments the right to pass laws to protect public health, reports said.

Luisa Crisostomo Nov 23, 2011

The Australian sharemarket is losing ground for the fourth straight day with the All Ordinaries index (XAO) down 0.7 pct or 29 pts to 4175.2. Almost all sectors are lower with the utilities managing to rise a touch at lunch.

Vittorio Hernandez Nov 23, 2011

Queensland mines are poaching workers from the banking and retail sectors in a bid to fill up vacancies in the state's thriving mining industry.

Vittorio Hernandez Nov 23, 2011

Aussie business owners' dissatisfaction with the Federal Government has soared to a three year high with the majority of Aussie SMEs (56%) now dissatisfied, up from 31% in August 2010. This is the highest dissatisfaction level recorded by the Business Monitor since June 2008, accprding to the latest research from the MYOB Business Monitor Special Report released on Wednesday.

Christine Gaylican Nov 23, 2011

Russia's third-largest steel producer Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) is eyeing to acquire Australian iron miner Flinders Mines in a bid to expand its iron ore mining operations to secure supplies and hedge against rising prices.

Esther Tanquintic-Misa Nov 23, 2011

Australia has indicated that any joint military exercises with both China and the United States were not remote possibilities following suggestions floated recently by the Indonesian President.

Erik Pineda Nov 23, 2011

Three American exchange students are detained in Cairo for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at security forces from the roof of a university building near Tahrir Square, where thousands of protesters demanding a civilian government were clashing with riot police trying to disperse them.

Windsor Genova Nov 23, 2011

More investments are expected to come from India once Australia decides to officially include the country as one of its uranium buyers, according to political and business leaders from New Delhi.

Erik Pineda Nov 23, 2011

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has assured the public the name of her brother Thaksin is not on the list to be endorsed for pardon this year.

Christine Gaylican Nov 23, 2011

Australian miner Hastings Rare Metals' Heavy Rare Earth Project in Western Australia could rank as one of the world's top heavy rare earth projects after a scoping study underlined the project's massive rare earths content as well as potential economic returns for the company.

Esther Tanquintic-Misa Nov 23, 2011

An opposition lawmaker threw a tear gas inside the South Korea's parliament Tuesday in protest to a plenary session to ratify a controversial bill establishing a free trade agreement (FTA) with the U.S.

Windsor Genova Nov 23, 2011

Following months of intense lobbying and backdoor concessions, Prime Minister Julia Gillard finally won the support of her House colleagues as the Parliament’s lower chamber voted on Wednesday morning to approve the Minerals Resource Rent Tax Bill 2011.

Erik Pineda Nov 23, 2011

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has fallen further and is trading at USD 0.9835 as persistent concerns about the Euro Zone's sovereign debt crisis create more uncertainty in global financial markets.

Christine Gaylican Nov 23, 2011

From Craig James, Commsec Chief EconomistMORNING REPORT (8am AEDT) The second estimate of US GDP was revised down from 2.5pct to 2.0pct. The downward revision reflected a cut in inventories and lower investment spending. US ICSC chain store sales rose 2.8pct last week compared with a year ago. ICSC research expects same store sales to rise 3.5pct-4pct in November. The Richmond Fed manufacturing index improved from -6 to 0 in November.

Christine Gaylican Nov 23, 2011

From Stan Shamu, Market Strategist ( IG Markets)Global markets extended their losses overnight on concerns that European leaders are running out of options to solve the debt crisis. This sent French and Italian yields higher yet again. In the US, market weakness was triggered by slower-than-expected GDP data in the third quarter. The revised number came in at 2% after an initial estimate of 2.5%. However, losses were pared on news that the Federal Reserve and International Monetary Fund may...

Christine Gaylican Nov 23, 2011

The $11-billion Mineral Resource Rental Tax (MRRT) was passed Wednesday morning because of the Labor government's $100 million pay-off deal with the Greens.

Vittorio Hernandez Nov 23, 2011

The Australian sharemarket unfortunately fell for the third straight day today with the All Ordinaries index (XAO) down 0.7 pct or 29.4 pts to 4204.2. Although today was not an ideal session, keep in mind that shares in the U.S fell by over 2 pct while the European markets fell by as much as 3.5 pct.

Vittorio Hernandez Nov 22, 2011

The Australian government has assured mining companies and opposing sectors their demands will be met in the final version of the proposed mining tax bill.

Christine Gaylican Nov 22, 2011

Barring any more glitches, Prime Minister Julia Gillard is virtually assured of sailing her proposed minerals resource rent tax (MRRT) though the Parliament’s lower chamber this week, paving the way for a near-certain approval by the Senate early next year.

Erik Pineda Nov 22, 2011

The mining tax proposal of the Labor government, set to be voted on likely by Wednesday, appears to be a more popular measure than the proposed lifting of uranium exports to India.

Vittorio Hernandez Nov 22, 2011

Forces of Libya's interim ruler, the National Transition Council, are searching Terhouna city, 90 kilometres southeast of Tripoli, for the youngest son of former leader Moammar Gadhafi and head of an elite brigade from the fallen regime.

Windsor Genova Nov 22, 2011

Qantas Airways has rejected suggestions that it allowed negotiations with union officials to be bogged down by deliberate delays in order to secure intervention from Fair Work Australia (FWA).

Erik Pineda Nov 22, 2011

Australian banks are no longer relying heavily on the wholesale funding markets. Instead it has turned to the retail deposit for low interest rates since the start of the global financial crisis.

Vittorio Hernandez Nov 22, 2011

Australia is bent on completing its mission in Afghanistan regardless of the setbacks its troops absorbed in the past few months, according to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Erik Pineda Nov 22, 2011

The US healthcare system is a mess, as both health insurance and medical treatment costs continue to soar exponentially year after year. But one way some companies are helping to address this dire situation is to begin penalizing workers that represent the biggest drain on the system (smokers and the obese) with higher healthcare premiums.

Jamelle Agbuis Nov 22, 2011