Erik Pineda

Budget carrier Jetstar has decided to reduce the frequency of its service flights between Darwin and Singapore and business leaders in the Northern Territory appears less than amused with the surprise move made by the airline.

Mixed economic indicators in the September quarter appear to deliver contrasting impacts on the upcoming gross domestic product (GDP) report this mid-week as rising government expenditures are expected to add up on the GDP figures while retreating export volumes are anticipated to detract some percentage points from the national account.

Following the passage of the bill on Monday that would restructure the operational make up of Australia’s dominant telecommunication provider, Telstra Corporation, the country’s other telco industry players appear to be breathing fresh air, and for a good reason.

Woodside Petroleum Ltd admitted a rise on the cost of its Pluto Foundation LNG Project and a bit delay on the commencement of the facility’s production activity.

China has decided to temporary block the entry of rock lobsters from Australia on its market pending the outcome of the ongoing negotiations with the Australian government, which could lead to the establishment of a formal industry trade deal between the two countries.

Global mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd appears all set to achieve another record earnings in 2010, paving the way for some billion-dollar share buyback initiatives by next year but the company declared that first on its list are planned spending for numerous projects over the next 18 months.

A global study on government-sponsored broadband projects aired reservations on the wisdom of spending huge amounts of taxpayers’ money to finance the realisation of a national broadband network such as the case of Australia.

With the Queensland state election still a long way in 2012, the latest poll results released over the weekend showed that the incumbent state government could be pushed out of power if elections were to be held today.

The Australian economy appears to be growing in a much less upbeat mode than many economists had thought as the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed that corporate earnings actually retreated in the September quarter.

The Coalition has confirmed that it would attempt to extend on some provisions of the amendments being sought by South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon for the national broadband network once the Parliament resumes for a special session on Monday.

To further bolster Qantas Airways Ltd’s re-invigorated safety measures despite its A380 fleet’s engine woes, chief executive Alan Joyce is boarding QF31’s Sydney flight on its way to London, the first time the aircraft would fly again following the fleet’s grounding more than three weeks ago.

With the National Broadband Network almost a certainty and giant telco firm Telstra Corporation required by law to put its copper-wire network out of service to make way for the fibre optics system to be rolled out under the NBN project, Australia’s leading telecommunication provider appears to be graciously moving on.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) finally decides to commence legal proceedings against the owners of Storm Financial and three major banks that facilitated loans on investors, who saw their investments melted away when the investment firm collapsed.

Budget carrier Jetstar reportedly fired one of its pilots for calling management attention on safety and workplace concerns, with the dismissed employee airing his gripes on a news article printed out by Fairfax publications.

Chinese security officers reportedly arrested and locked up an Australian businessman in Guangzhou, China as authorities launched an investigation on alleged misuse of company resources, which the detained man also heads.

Queensland Motorways Ltd (QML) would not go private after all as the state government had opted to allow its investment body, the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) to purchase the company and takeover its operations.

Western Australian authorities appear lukewarm on suggestions that the federal government needs to nationalise the regulation of the oil and gas industry across Australian states and territories in light of the deemed failure of a regional regulatory body in preventing the Montara oil spill incident.

The September quarter saw the infusion of fresh capital investments in Australia and judging from the latest figures carried by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the rising trend would only continue, at least for the remaining part of the current financial year.

Perth Airport operator Westralia Airports unveiled its $500 million renovation blueprint that the company said would refurbish and merge the operations of the airport’s domestic and international terminals.

The national broadband network jigsaw puzzle appears to be finally forming as another piece has been added to complete the picture with independent Senator Steve Fielding providing maybe the final link, announcing on late Wednesday that he would support the NBN bill.

The Montara oil spill in August 2009, Australia’s worst offshore oil spill incident, could have been avoided yet due to the failure of the region’s regulatory authorities to effectively implement safety regimes, the accident still happened.

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon eventually acceded in supporting the National Broadband Network legislation that would pave for the way for the structural partitioning of Telstra Corporation, which the federal government maintained is crucial to full roll out of NBN.

Amidst the reported presence of cancer-causing chemicals on Queensland’s emerging liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal seam gas (CSG) operations, a new research apparently showed that despite the risks it brings, the state’s mining industry hauled in an estimated $3.8 billion in tax revenues for the past financial year.

Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd continues beefing up its fleet of Airbus A330s as it announced on Wednesday the scheduled delivery of two more aircrafts by 2012, which the airline said would be deployed to serve its Australian service routes.

The federal opposition is convinced that too little studies were being undertaken by the federal government in the growing trend of foreign ownership of agri-business operations in Australia even as a government audit has been committed by the treasury to pore over into the issue by next year.

Buoyed by the solid value of the Australian dollar and a relatively liberal GST regulation on online commerce, many shoppers appear to be turning on internet shopping which prompted the federal treasury to mull the imposition of goods purchased through retail websites.

Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan would be free from any criminal liabilities after all following the Australian Crime Commission’s (ACC) announcement on Tuesday that the investigation against the Australian actor would be ceased.

Fairfax Media is recalibrating its corporate structure to arrest the media company’s continuing profit slide in the print division and to keep abreast with the shifting norms in the media business operations.

Qantas Airways Ltd is set to fly again some of its Airbus A380s as it announced on Tuesday that a London-bound aircraft is scheduled to take off from Sydney on November 27, Saturday.