POLITICS & POLICY

AFTERNOON REPORT (4.30pm AEDT)The local share market posted its fourth win in a row today, kick-starting the trading week on a positive note. Investor sentiment remained buoyant after German and French leaders agreed to do all that is necessary to secure the recapitalisation of European banks. Share markets around the Asian region were generally positive, despite ratings agency Fitch cutting the credit ratings of Italy and Spain. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) gained 37.3pts or 0.9pct to 42...

Mexican drug cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have entered Australia and is now operating in the country, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrator Chief of Intelligence Rodney Benson told the U.S. Congress last week.

Negligence and ignorance of Zambian labor laws by Chinese mining firms had pricked the temper of Zambian president Michael Sata, in spite admitting Chinese investments are helping his country move towards economic growth and stability.

The economic insecurities affecting most countries around the world had caused majority of Australian businesses to become more wary to the point of being pessimistic.

The Australian sharemarket is surprisingly holding up very well despite a fall in U.S shares on Friday. The All Ordinaries index (XAO) is up 1.1 pct or 46.4 pts to 4271.4, adding to the 3.8 pct gains recorded last week.

While dressing up for a magazine cover shoot, some embarrassing photos of Madonna were snapped and now leaked through the internet.

Amcor, BlueScope Steel, Boral and other major Australian manufacturers recently formed a new industry manufacturing group to oppose the proposed carbon tax.

The Australian government has launched spirited efforts to win the release of an Aussie minor detained by Indonesian authorities for alleged possession of marijuana while on a holiday in Bali.

Australia is joining the global trend toward recognizing same-sex marriages. Outgoing South Australian Premier Mike Rann is the latest senior public official to back the proposal to legalise gay and lesbian unions.

Extract Resources Ltd. is poised for a major investor confidence boost this week as share prices already climbed 10 percent Monday morning amid reports that China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp (CGNPC) had re-opened talks to acquire Extract's biggest shareholder, Kalahari Minerals, even as CGNPC had earlier stated it is not keen to a takeover bid into the Perth-based miner.

China and Vietnam maybe at odds over claims in the South China Sea, particularly the Paracel and Spratly Islands, but they seem to be agreeing on one thing: taking control of its internet users.

The society is ripe for gay marriage, says South Australia's outgoing premier, Mike Rann. The issue on gay marriage will be debated at Labor's national conference in December.

Bell FX Currency Outlook A mixed bag of news and data out of the US and Europe over the weekend has seen the volatility in the AUD continue.

U.S. stocks finished lower Friday and the Dow Jones Industrial Average snapped a three day winning streak, as financial stocks fell sharply and Europe's sovereign-debt problems overshadowed a stronger U.S. employment reading.

MORNING REPORT (7am AEDT)US non-farm payrolls rose by 103,000 in September, above forecasts for a gain of around 60,000. And revisions led to employment numbers being lifted by 99,000 positions over July and August. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.1pct.

The younger Middleton continues to impress fashion critics as she steps out in a printed red dress and dark blazer.

The rumors circling on the possibility of the Duchess appearing on the cover of Vogue has been debunked, none other less than the Queen herself.

While outpourings of sympathy for Steve Jobs's family continue, not everyone is sad of the demise of the technology innovator who died on Wednesday at age 56.

The mining industry is caught in a web of regulators' rift as the Australian Securities Exchange and Joint Ore Reserves Committee clash over whose reporting standards should be followed.

he entertainment business has a lot to thank Steve Jobs for all these years. The introduction of the PC, iPod, iPhone, iPad has changed the course of media in a far better way that led to appreciation of the arts in a more technologically advanced way. Filmmakers, actors, press people, and musicians have been given new means and avenues to deliver their craft more efficiently and in an almost near perfect rendition.

Russian authorities are helping track down the mastermind of a uranium and plutonium smuggling syndicate that tried to sell the fissile material to a North African country for possible use in a "dirty bomb."

Small- and medium-sized Australian businesses stand to gain a hold in the country's future fiscal policies and regulations with the launch of a non-profit organization governing body.

Australia’s economy is stable enough, as compared to the rest of the world, but former Treasurer Peter Costello is all reluctant to credit the Labor government, insisting that the country benefited from efforts of previous governments.

The Age talked to surgeons at Box Hill Hospital, where elective surgery load will reportedly be reduced by 8 per cent this financial year despite a very high demand. The Box Hill plan was brought up after The Age revealed the complaints of an emergency doctor at the Austin Hospital, who said the department was overwhelmed and that he feared being sued for inadequate care.

In what seems to be a sudden change of minds, the government of Mongolia had abandoned its plan to acquire a larger stake allocation in the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project, ultimately boosting the share prices of its developers, global miners Rio Tinto PLC and Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says Australian workers, not migrants, should be prioritized in filling employment requirements. For his part, Jobs Minister Chris Evans warned against reducing skilled migration numbers as this could affect pace of work at the industry, noting jobs are "moving north and west" and there are some areas which are "doing it tough".

Transsexuals who are seeking official gender reassignment need not go through expensive and painful reproductive organ surgery to be recognised as a male or female.

Lack of appropriate funding from Melbourne state has forced the Box Hill Hospital to reduce the volume of its elective surgery by 8 percent this year, forcing the closure of an operating theatre and a 32-bed ward.

Housing affordability emerged as one of the key issues facing Australian cities in today’s meeting of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors.