Erik Pineda

Australian conglomerate Woolworths Ltd (ASX: WOW) announced on Wednesday its issuance of up to $US1.25 billion ($A1.33 billion) worth of US bonds that the company said would be utilised to refinance its existing debt facilities.

September 16 marks the sixth month that Clem7 toll tunnel in Brisbane has formally opened its road for vehicular traffic yet its operator, RiverCity Motorway Group (ASX: RCY), was not bent on celebrating the milestone for apparent reasons.

Junior mining firm CGA Mining Ltd (ASX: CGX) reported on Wednesday that its Masbate gold venture in central of Philippines has been ramping up the project’s throughput, chalking up consistent gains that surpassed so far earlier projections.

Newly-appointed opposition communication spokesman Malcolm Turnbull said on Wednesday that the federal government’s handling of the National Broadband Network could potentially lead to a huge waste of taxpayers’ money.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) said on Tuesday that it has formally commenced its strategic partnership with Vietnam International Bank (VIB) following the handing down of regulatory approvals from the Vietnamese government.

Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd (ASX: VBA) chief executive John Borghetti reiterated his belief on Tuesday that Australian-based carriers must forged useful alliances that would enable them to provide affordable international networks to passengers and all the possible attending perks.

Australian growers can look forward for a bountiful harvest season as the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Research Economics (ABARE) released its forecast on Tuesday which pointed to an estimated 40 million tonnes of yield that would mostly come from the rain-soaked areas of the country such as New South Wales.

Mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) unveiled on Tuesday its $US803 million plan to upgrade the current open pit operations of the company’s Argyle diamond mine site in Western Australia into an underground exploration.

Consumer advocate Choice said on Tuesday that the federal government needs to exercise stricter oversight function on Australia’s banking industry in light of the reported harassment utilised by some major banks in demanding payments from beleaguered borrowers.

Giant mining firm Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) took advantage of a credit facility extended to Ivanhoe Mines Ltd that matured on Tuesday and sued for its conversion into common shares that effectively upped the company’s stake in the Canadian firm by almost 35 percent.

China’s upbeat economic news perked up investors demand for oil futures, nudging higher oil prices in Asia and North America as the world’s fast emerging giant economy gave hints of further growths and more fuel consumption that effectively dampened the supply jitters brought by the closure of a key Canadian pipeline that supplies crude to US refineries.

The US dollar lost some grounds against a host of other currencies led by the recovering Euro, driving up on Monday’s closing gold prices in what analysts call as the usual movement of the precious metal whenever the mighty dollar falters and the market signals the dreaded uncertainty that yet again gave gold considerable gains.

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) meted out a three-year financial services ban on a Sydney-based stockbroker following investigations that showed he secretly obtained profits for relatives during Regional Express Holdings Ltd on-market share buyback.

Gold explorer Range River Gold Ltd (ASX: RNG) saw its stocks soaring on Monday following its announcement that it has upgraded the open-pit resource potential of the company’s two reservoir sites of its Mt Morgans project in Western Australia.

Services on Western Australia’s public hospitals were poised to be disrupted on Monday as thousands of workers opted for industrial action following the state government’s decision to deny their $50 per week pay raise demand.

Construction and contract mining giant Leighton Holdings Ltd (ASX: LEI) will soon miss its chief executive for 23 years as Wal King announced on Monday that he would be retiring from the company effective January 1 of next year.

Virgin Airlines founder Sir Richard Branson hinted in an ABC interview on Monday that his airline could eventually abandon its New Zealand service routes following the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) disapproval last week of the planned Virgin Blue-Air New Zealand Alliance.

Junior mining firm Arafura Resources Ltd (ASX: ARU) revealed on Monday a scientific breakthrough that could easily position the company as the world’s major source of rare earths, which are being utilised for industrial purposes such as the manufacture of some batteries, lasers and x-ray machines.

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) of Tasmania said on Monday that the initial evaluation phase of a proposed windfarm in Robbins Island has already begun as the agency added that it is currently studying the project’s environmental and cultural impact in the area.

Leighton Holdings Ltd-owned (ASX: LEI) John Holland Group said on Monday that it has secured a $276 million contract that would see the construction of a new port set to serve Rio Tinto Ltd’s Cape Lambert Port B project in Western Australia.

Oil prices climbed up as the week closed on Friday, picking up from the upgraded North American demand forecast of 50,000 barrels per day released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on the same day that a major pipeline pumping crude into the United States was shut down.

Gold further retreated below the $US1250 per ounce level on Friday as the US dollar continued its ascent against major currencies and traders eased down on their frantic support for the precious metal as the week wore on, pushing down spot prices from Thursday’s closing level of $US1248.27 per ounce to $1245.85 for the week’s closing.

As it turned out, the new minority Labor government is now standing on the crucial support provided by two independent MPs, who in turn were enticed by pledges of up to $10 billion regional development initiatives from the federal government.

Gold mining giant Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) announced on Friday that Lihir Gold Ltd’s investors would find their share consideration being scaled back as an overwhelming demand of shares ensued following the blockbuster $10.5 billion deal that saw the merger of the two companies.

Media giant firm Fairfax Media Ltd (ASX: FXJ) said on Friday that mobile users accessing its four online news sites would need to pay some fees within the next few weeks as the company announced the launching of its first subscription-based smartphone applications.

Former finance minister Lindsay Tanner is set to wear his business suit again but this time as a corporate advisor for Lazard Australia, following his bowing out of politics but not before leaving a major imprint in the previous Labor governments headed by Kevin Rudd and now incumbent Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Power distributor Aurora Energy said on Friday that Tasmania’s electricity costs has been recently justified by a report which showed that state residents were actually enjoying relatively cheaper power bills as compared with other states and territory in Australia.

Greenland-focused Greenland Minerals and Energy Ltd (ASX: GGG) revealed on Friday that it has obtained license modifications from its host country’s exploration site that would allow the cultivation of radioactive elements on the company’s Kvanefjeld project.

As fuel prices in Hobart showed that it currently carries the most expensive petrol in Australia, Tasmanian opposition leaders scored Premier David Bartlett for his failure in arresting the upward surge of pump prices.