Komfie Manalo

Australia's financial services industry has announced a move to introduce a new credential with the hope of raising the investor's confidence level to the industry which suffered a bad image during the global financial crunch.

The Australian dollar fell Thursday morning as Asian stocks declined prompting investors to close positions on riskier assets to take some profits. At the start of the trade, the Australian dollar fell to its 2-day low against the Canadian and New Zealand currencies.

A loose alliance of three of the world's biggest mining companies on Thursday launched a renewed offensive against the Rudd government's plan to force a 40 percent tax on resource profits.

House prices in Perth are expected to rise sharply over the next three years, faster than any other capital city in Australia, experts had predicted.

House prices in Perth are expected to rise sharply over the next three years, faster than any other capital city in Australia, experts had predicted.

After drawing much public flak from his proposed 40 percent tax on super profits, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is reported to be ready for a compromise agreement with the mining sector, in the hope of taking out some of the pressure over the controversial new resource tax.

Creditors of Australia's largest cotton farm, Cubbie Station, will vote today on the bids of two foreign groups to restructure the debt-ridden farm.

One person was confirmed killed and seven others were injured when a light plane crashed in Sydney's south-west area just after 8am Tuesday, the New South Wales Ambulance Service confirmed. Earlier, the NSW, said two people had been killed, but later revised the figure to just one.

Alternative Advisors LLP, a London based investment boutique, has announced the launch of the Castillon Diversified Fund, a regulated (UCITS III) multi-manager investment vehicle.

The majority of institutional investors intend to increase their allocations to alternative investments over the next three years, carrying far greater influence over the shape of the industry as a result, concludes a KPMG International study titled "Transformation: The Future of Alternative Investments."

A Japanese space probe said to be carrying dust samples from an asteroid plunged to Earth Sunday midnight as its capsule parachuted to South Australian state's outback within the Woomera Prohibited Area.

The Australian government is reported to be planning to introduce a new law that requires internet service providers to keep a record of their client's web surfing history, as part of the government's fight against terrorism and phaedophilia.

The Australian government will shoulder the cost in the rescue of 16-year-old Abby Sunderland, who was forced to send off a distress call after drifting for three days more than 2,000 miles southwest of Perth, while trying to circumnavigate the world solo.

The movie "Australia" featuring local talents Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman may have a failure in the box office, but it sure does help tourism in Australia very interesting to travelers.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced on Tuesday it keep key interest rates 4.5 percent, but analysts said the central bank may resume the most aggressive series of rate increases in the Group of 20 in the third quarter.

Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed that Australia's economy slowed its pace in the first quarter as business spending dropped amidst efforts by the government to pump prime the economy by constructing a new building in every school.

The Hartford Mutual Funds today introduced three new funds. The Hartford Global Real Asset Fund and The Hartford Global All-Asset Fund offer investors global exposure at a time when global economies are changing rapidly and there is expanding demand for alternative investments.

The Australia Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has resumed proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia against two companies engaged in finance broking.

Insparo Asset Management has responded to an upsurge in demand for its award winning fund by appointing Man Investments' Emma Robinson as Investor Relations Manager.

Harcourt Investment Consulting AG (Harcourt) has announced the launch of Vonda UCITS Fund.

Think Alternative Advisors LLP, the London-based boutique investment research firm, announces the launch of its TA Research Platform TM, a unique tool designed to provide investors with the research coverage, tools and insight to make better allocation decisions into Asian hedge funds.

IDS Group (IDS), the global specialist investment administrator, has partnered with LC Abelheim (LCA), a Mauritian based Management Company to offer fund administration to the Indian Ocean region.

The Japanese government on Tuesday described as "regrettable" Australia's decision to file charges against Tokyo before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding its whaling practices.

The Reserve Bank of Australia kept its interest rate steady Tuesday at 4.5%, its first pause in since starting to introduce hikes in February. In the last RBA meeting in May, board members suggested that the current level was sufficient.

Bad news for miners. The government of Australia reiterated its position on Tuesday it will press ahead with the planned controversial resource tax without making significant concessions to the mining sector, Treasurer Wayne Swan said.

Australia has always been one of the most favourable immigration destinations. The current volume of immigrants to Australia was not being affected even throughout the global economic crisis and recessions.

Apple has announced that iPad sales have topped two million in less than 60 days since its launch on April 3. Apple began shipping iPad in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK this past weekend. iPad will be available in nine more countries in July and additional countries later this year.

AXA Asia Pacific Holdings Limited (AXA APH) and National Australia Bank Limited (NAB) have agreed to extend until July 15, 2010 end of day the agreement relating to the proposed transaction whereby NAB will acquire 100% of AXA APH, retain the Australian and New Zealand businesses of AXA APH and sell to AXA 100% of the Asian businesses of AXA APH.

New research from the European School of Management & Technology (ESMT), in collaboration with the Rotterdam School of Management, highlights a worrying disconnect in the behaviour of investors in hedge funds and the subsequent performance of their investments, typically resulting in poor or volatile performance and exposure to unnecessary risk.