POLITICS & POLICY

The Japanese government is considering setting up a more organized agency to oversee the country's rehabilitation efforts after the devastating earthquake, a senior official said today.

The Australian Parliament has approved the Commonwealth Government's Flood and Cyclone Levy Bill, which has earmarked some $5.6 billion in funds for the reconstruction of severely damaged townships.

Australia's controversial financial director linked to a Ponzi scheme charged of owing investors of as much as $68 million has been convicted of more than 13 years imprisonment.

Tension between Israel and the Palestinians reach fever-pitch again Tuesday after Israeli artillery shelling killed seven people, including three children and left 10 others wounded in Sheja'eya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City.

With unemployment at around 5 percent in Australia, there is much talk of 'full employment' and a focus on skills shortages. Yet, the fact remains that well over 2 million Australians are unemployed, under-employed or on disability benefits and many hundreds of thousands are capable but have little prospect of moving into secure employment under the current support arrangements.

Australia's senator Nick Xenophon has filed a motion today seeking a parliamentary inquiry into the proposed takeover-merger of the ASX Ltd. (ASX) by the Asian bourse Singapore Exchange Ltd.

NSW’s next Premier faces immediate housing supply and affordability crisis as rental vacancy rates have crashed in Sydney and fallen dramatically in Newcastle less than a week out from the NSW state election.

Australia has moved to reassure consumers that food imported from Japan was safe to eat, saying the chance of products being affected by radiation was 'negligible'.

The Japanese government has ordered Fukushima and three other prefectures today to suspend shipments of spinach and another leaf vegetable following the detection of radioactive substances in the produce at levels beyond legal limits,

The Gillard government should not try to pass legislation that would allow a national radioactive waste dump on Muckaty Land Trust in the Northern Territory before the Federal Court case opposing it lodged by some traditional owners of the Land Trust is heard, Oxfam Australia said today.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has announced that the public should expect wetter and cooler days ahead as the mercury is forecasted to drop in the coming months.

An Australian Industry Group report released today, Energy shock: confronting higher prices, delivers a sobering message about the relentlessly increasing energy prices which are impacting on businesses and the community, Ai Group Chief Executive Heather Ridout said.

The national construction industry remained in the red in February, although the rate of contraction eased, with the Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Construction Index (Australian PCI) in conjunction with the Housing Industry Association, up 4.4 points to 44.6 (readings below 50 indicate a contraction in activity).

"Fair Work Australia needs to take a cautious approach this year in adjusting minimum wages. The Australian economy is emerging from the global financial crisis in better shape than most other advanced economies but slowed in the second half of 2010 and has been adversely affected by the severe weather events in the early part of this year," Ai Group Chief Executive, Heather Ridout, said.

This year's Earth Hour generated a record number of participants with 130 countries and territories which registered to take part in the global lights-out event in an effort to raise awareness on climate change.

Australian finance minister Wayne Swan on Monday belied speculations his office would reject the proposed A$8.4 billion (S$10.6 billion) merger between the Australian and Singaporean bourses.

Two men and one woman appeared in the Sydney Central Local Court this morning charged with importing and attempting to possess 170kg of opium. All three were remanded in custody to appear again in June 2011.

The nuclear emergency in Japan is not likely to have an impact on Australian uranium exports, the Australian Uranium Association (AUA) says.

Britain's Prince William on Monday concluded his visit to flood hit parts of Victoria in what many seen by many as a public relations success for the second-in-line to the British throne. His tour was capped by an announcement by the state's government of additional financial assistance to those worst affected by the flooding in mid-January when the Loddon River broke its banks and dumped more water into communities.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has charged a 38-year-old East Sydney man and a 21-year-old Bombaderry man for allegedly trafficking approximately 50 kilograms of methamphetamines (ICE). The two men are scheduled to in Sydney Central Local Court today

Australian parents can heave a sigh of relief as School Education Minister Peter Garrett on Monday launched the revised National Safe Schools Framework in Brisbane to better equip Australian schools to deal with student bullying.

Griffith University's Australian Rivers Institute is spearheading a research partnership to develop science to underpin improved management and assessment of the health of Australia's river and wetland ecosystems.

The Australian Government welcomes the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1973, which importantly calls for the imposition of a no fly zone over Libya and demands the immediate establishment of a ceasefire and a complete end to violence.

Visiting fellow Dr Peter McCawley at The Australian National University on Monday called on Japan to announce an overall strategy if it is to successfully respond to the nation's unfolding natural disaster.

A survey by the University of Sydney has found that majority of residents from New South Wales are not confident transport in their local area will improve in the 12 months following this week's state election.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has validated Australia has a secure, sustainable and adequate pension system. The organisation’s report, Pensions at a Glance 2011, examined the pension systems of 42 countries.

The Australian government has lodged its submission to Fair Work Australia’s 2010-11 Annual Wage Review, recommending that any increase to minimum wages be in line with cost of living and other economic changes.

Outgoing Google chief executive Eric Schmidt lauded the Australian government’s national broadband initiative of putting up a country-wide network that he said would boost business and consumer growth.

The Group of Seven (G-7) Finance ministers had agreed to intervene in the markets to stabilise the Japanese yen that would help hasten the economic recovery efforts of the country as it struggles to rebuild after the devastating earthquake.