Esther Tanquintic-Misa

The privatisation sell off of the power stations in New South Wales have been approved to go, with the state government expecting the scheme would generate $3 billion enough to finance transport, school and hospital projects across the state.

Australia and New Zealand have extended the duration trial of the criminal history information sharing scheme, which benefits employers in Queensland and New Zealand, to until July 2013.

Australia has been ranked as the top among global countries with the best cigarette package health warnings, according to an international report released by the Canadian Cancer Society.

Australia's largest listed grain trader, GrainCorp Ltd., announced on Thursday it has junked the A$2.7 billion ($2.8 billion) takeover approach by U.S.-based Archer Daniel Midlands Co. (ADM), saying the cash offer of $11.75 per share "materially undervalues" the company.

Australian rare earths miner Lynas Corp. has announced that the second legal action filed by the Save Malaysia Stop Lynas group against its processing plant facility in Malaysia had been shelved off by the Kuantan High Court. But for some reason, shares of the rare earths miner continued to tumble on Thursday.

As expected, activists in Malaysia opposed to the presence of Lynas Corp.'s rare earths processing plant continued to rally on their disagreement, filing for yet again a second application to prevent the Australian miner from using its temporary operating license to fire up the plant in Kuantan.

China's Shanghai Zhongfu Group could be awarded rights to rights to develop the second stage of the Ord East Kimberley Expansion project in Western Australia, The Australian said in unconfirmed reports on Wednesday.

Millions of Crown of Thorns starfish have been found looming around in the central portion of the Great Barrier Reef, threatening to wipe out potential growing and multiplying presence of beautiful corals.

To say it was a sight to behold was more than an understatement. Chasers of the Australian total solar eclipse were merely speechless of the natural phenomenon that occurred on Wednesday.

After months of searching for a potential taker, BHP Billiton has finally divested from its diamond business for a bargain price of $500 million to diamond-miner and jewelry-retailer Harry Winston Diamond Mines Ltd.

Global miner BHP Billiton is facing a two-week work stoppage at its Illawarra Coal Appin Mine unit as some 50 supervisors demand for an 18 per cent increase in their pay.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the world's largest bank in terms of profitability, market capitalisation and customer deposits, has recently opened its first Melbourne branch.

Extreme urgency has been stamped on Australia to iron out a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Korea before the years ends as the country's beef industry could stand to lose some $13 million in 2013 as the tariff disparity with competing US beef widens in international markets.

Australian military troops are eyeing to participate in the Philippines' annual "Balikatan" or "shoulder-to-shoulder" training exercises with the US forces, the former's Department of National Defense (DND) announced over the weekend.

Christmas could come in cheery for Australia's state of South Australia as grain harvest in the region is predicted to rake in some $1.8 billion next month.

For the first time ever, cherries picked from the Australian region of Tasmania will sail and be sold in the lucrative Chinese market based on the approval draft of the two countries.

With only two days left before the big event, a Cairns supplier of solar eclipse glasses is stocking up on his wares as he sees business to go pleasantly haywire on Wednesday.

Are you a solar eclipse watcher fanatic who wants to see this year's celestial phenomenon in Australia but unfortunately can't fly to Down Under because of varied seasons? There's still good news for you because Slooh Space Camera will broadcast a free, real-time feed of the stunning total solar eclipse live from Cairns, Australia.

A day after it was finally cleared to move forward its Malaysian rare earths processing plant, Australian miner Lynas Corp. is now rushing to gather at least $200 million to jumpstart the facility.

Fishermen folk have denounced Federal Government's zone map and details of the South Australia Marine Park bill, which specifies areas off-limits to fishing, claiming their livelihood and lives are at stake.

Climate Change Minister Greg Combet has confirmed Australia will join the Kyoto 2, the second commitment period of the global Kyoto protocol agreement.

Effective January 2013, the Queensland State Government will implement a "left turn red" traffic system at several selected intersections on the Gold Coast in a bid to reduce and improve the state's vehicular traffic flow.

Australians going to NT this weekend ought to brace for potential gridlocks as well as changes to their time travel itineraries as uranium miner Energy Resources Australia (ERA) prepares to transfer heavy equipment for three Saturdays starting this coming weekend from Darwin to Jabiru, at speeds of only 30kmph.

Abu Dhabi's flagship carrier Etihad Airways, which own 10 per cent of Virgin Australia, has entered into a codesharing agreement with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to offer Australians greater accessibility and flexibility as they visit and tour Europe and its scenic spots.

Now that focus will gear more towards the fast-approaching Christmas season, the Australian Taxi Industry Association (ATIA) has warned commuters and consumers to refrain from using taxis or private cars for hire that used rogue smartphone apps to promote their services.

Australian miner Lynas Corp. can finally proceed in finishing the construction of its rare earths processing plant facility in Malaysia after a High Court ruled out the complaint filed by Malaysian activists against the plant.

Australian Queensland-based resource company Linc Energy, which has successfully formulated an underground coal gasification (UCG) technology to produce diesel and jet fuel, has pricked the interest of no less than Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

More than 500 personnel from the engineering department of Qantas Airways have been sacked as part of the company's restructuring operations.

The Simpson Desert in Australia's southwest Queensland has claimed the life of a 25-year-old man after the four-wheel drive that carried him and his partner bogged down. His partner is still in recovery.