Esther Tanquintic-Misa

Residents at Queensland State are outraged on the improper handling and management of the Queensland government after it failed to inform residents of the toxic gas coming out from explosive blasts in Queensland's giant open-cut coalmines.

Mongolia's Oyu Tolgoi project with Rio Tinto PLC and Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. could end up in the pits after both miners flatly rejected the government's request to reopen the deal to boost Mongolia's stake from 34 percent to 50 percent.

Molycorp (MCP) on Tuesday announced the discovery of a heavy rare earth ore deposit in southern California.

No wonder China is buying all the coal it could get its hands on. According to BP's Statistical Review of World Energy 2011, China is now the world's largest consumer of energy.

Members of the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) reiterated they will not return to work on Brisbane Airport Link unless a safety audit is carried out to ensure their safety and the structure's stability following the death of a co-worker last Thursday.

Japan is buying stakes in coal mining firms in a bid to shift to coal-fired power following the March 11 tsunami and nuclear disaster.

Thanks to coal and ore, Australia's trade surplus in August improved remarkably and showed signs of continued recovery amid the summer floods that forced many mines to close and massive concerns of a global slowdown.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Tuesday assuaged fears the country might face an economic growth slowdown if China continues to slump in orders of Australia's natural resources.

Looking for a happiness fix? Why not try relocating to Wagga, Australia's own happiest place on earth, according to a survey.

Despite a continuing insider trading investigation, the pending takeover of Australia's Sundance Resources Ltd. by Hanlong Mining of China is almost as good as a done deal, lacking only signatures.

Parents might be unaware, or could be intentionally sheltering them, but living in jobless families create a certain psychological imbalance in their children.

The Margaret River Guide phone app has been launched to help visitors and tourists enjoy the best of their stay and vacation in one of Australia's most stunning territories.

Coal prices, along with iron ore, will endure erratic price adjustments despite the global markets' roller-coaster ride and declining output in China's manufacturing, analysts and experts said.

A baby is always a source of joy to any set of parents. It is not surprising that most parents would want to not only soothe them when they cry, but also cuddle them whenever chance permits. But cuddling, in a recent data that studied the infant deaths in Victoria, Australia showed too much cuddling led to their unexpected deaths.

In what seemed to be a major breakthrough for debt-ridden Greece, it had gained trust from a Qatar-based holdings firm to invest in one of its gold-mining projects.

Fast-developing and emerging market leaders China and India will push the global demand for raw steel-making ingredients by as much as 68 percent between 2010 and 2025, according to mining giant BHP Billiton on Friday.

Chinese grain harvest posted its eighth consecutive increase this year but it will still failed to stabilize domestic prices as supplies continue to struggle to meet growing demand.

China's manufacturing sector continued to contract for the third straight month in September due to weaker global consumer demand, showing proof that even the world's second-largest economy is not immune to the financial crisis.

A recent research study released by sociologists at Cornell University showed that people's moods followed a similar pattern not only through a single day but also through the week and the changing seasons.

Minmetals Resources Ltd. of China is poised to buy Anvil Mining of Congo for $1.31 billion to secure copper mine production output in Africa amid the recent fall of the commodity's prices in the world market.

A century from now, Australia could turn into an empty mine-pit with used up natural resources, no jobs and no future in sight unless present governments formulate strategies and implement action plans that would anchor the country to not just rely on its natural resources for sustained economic growth.

Available job postings in Australia grew to 187,100, up 3.3 percent in the three months to August, hitting employment opportunities are slowly recovering after months of slowdown.

It's all systems go as Qantas and American Airlines have been given the approval by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to enforce their joint business agreement on Pacific flights.

All those promises of a lean, better and toned legs flew off the shelves as fast as Reebok might need to rework its advertising campaign, as the shoe maker has conceded to pay consumers $25 million in refunds.

With world oil prices on a rollercoaster ride lately, the Chinese are more determined than ever to lessen their dependence on the precious commodity and exploit their abundant coal reserves.

With more and more foreign businesses wanting to invest and partake in Australia's huge and abundant mining industry, federal authorities are disturbed resources might all be consumed by foreign partners and none will be left for the locals to use.

China needs to re-work its economic policies and growth strategies if it wants to continue enjoying a more than 9 percent annual growth, which catapulted it to become the world's second-largest economy now, otherwise it is also doomed to suffer what the U.S. and Europe are presently experiencing.

Australia consumers may be tech savvy and may own multiple digital devices, yet most of them still fail to give their gadgets the ample, if not best, security it needs, a survey from McAfee said.

Just in time for the Christmas buying and spending season, Toshiba announced on Tuesday plans to offer a whole new range of affordable laptops and netbooks in October. A Toshiba laptop will be readily available to suit anybody's needs and budget. Prices range from $300 to $630.