Sharon Olalia

John Holland, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leighton Holdings Ltd (ASX: LEI) has secured a $150 million subcontract for the construction of marine offloading facilities as part of Gladstone LNG’s proposed Curtis Island LNG facility.

The Federal Government's ban on mortgage exit fees passed into law Wednesday and will apply to all new home loans from 1 July 2011.

National Australia Bank (ASX: NAB) today showed it support to the government’s plan to ban exit fees saying that the removal of mortgage exit fees is good for bank customers and competition and would also benefit those lenders who are offering their customers the fairest value and most competitive interest rates.

Fortescue Metals' Andrew "Twiggy'' Forrest has jumped from number two to number one on the BRW executives' list of the richest 200.

Blackthorn Resources Ltd (ASX:BTR) has placed 16 million ordinary shares to its joint venture partner for the Perkoa Zinc Project in Burkina Faso, Glencore International AG.

Upscale retailer David Jones Ltd (ASX: DJS) today reported a record high first half profit after tax (PAT) of $105.7 million for the six months ended 29 January 2011 (1H11). This represents an increase of 5.2 per cent on 1H10 ($100.5 million).

Symex Holdings Ltd (ASX:SYM) says it is planning to extend White King beyond just the bleach category after acquiring the iconic brand late last year.

Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd (ASX:VBA) is expecting its 2011 financial year profit to fall to a net loss of between $30 million to $80 million.

NSW’s next Premier faces immediate housing supply and affordability crisis as rental vacancy rates have crashed in Sydney and fallen dramatically in Newcastle less than a week out from the NSW state election.

Strategic Airlines, Australia’s newest domestic and international airline, has acquired a Brisbane engineering maintenance facility and new corporate headquarters in Brisbane.

Marex Group Ltd, the international broker of commodity derivatives, financial futures and foreign exchange, which is majority-owned by JRJ Group and its partners, Trilantic Capital Partners and BXR Group, has reached agreement with Imarex ASA to acquire its 100 per cent holding of Spectron Group Ltd for approximately 94.5 million pounds.

National dwelling commencements fell again in the December quarter, reinforcing the urgent need for governments to address supply side policy failures, according to Master Builders Australia, the peak building and construction industry association.

The Gillard government should not try to pass legislation that would allow a national radioactive waste dump on Muckaty Land Trust in the Northern Territory before the Federal Court case opposing it lodged by some traditional owners of the Land Trust is heard, Oxfam Australia said today.

Wealth manager Australian fund manager AMP Ltd (ASX: AMP) said a unit has launched a A$600 million floating rate subordinated exchangeable note to partially fund its takeover of AXA Asia Pacific Holdings Ltd's Australia and New Zealand businesses.

Iron ore junior BC Iron Ltd (ASX: BCI) has asked the Takeovers Panel to challenge the validity of Regent Pacific Ltd’s purported termination of the Scheme Implementation Agreement (SIA) between the companies as announced on Tuesday 15 March 2011.

The nuclear emergency in Japan is not likely to have an impact on Australian uranium exports, the Australian Uranium Association (AUA) says.

Australian merchandise imports rose 6 per cent or $1.010 billion in February, to $18.032 billion, seasonally adjusted, official national figures show.

Lend Lease says it has reached financial close on the Wandsworth Schools program for Wandsworth Borough Council in south-west London.

Amid pressure from suppliers and manufacturers over online sales, Australian eCommerce businesses have had a successful 2010 and are optimistic about the next 12 months, according to eBay’s second Online Business Index (OBI), a major annual survey of Australian businesses engaged in eCommerce.

Sundance Resources Ltd (ASX: SDL) says all of Ken Talbot's shares in the iron ore explorer have been transferred to Hanlong Mining, making the Chinese company Sundance's largest shareholder.

Global miner Rio Tinto says it will extend its offer for shares in Riversdale Mining by three trading days.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has validated Australia has a secure, sustainable and adequate pension system. The organisation’s report, Pensions at a Glance 2011, examined the pension systems of 42 countries.

The Australian government has lodged its submission to Fair Work Australia’s 2010-11 Annual Wage Review, recommending that any increase to minimum wages be in line with cost of living and other economic changes.

Australian national carrier Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) had reached a settlement with the New Zealand Commerce Commission in relation to price fixing conduct within its freight division between 2000 and 2006.

Almost half a million households across regional Victoria will make the historic transition to digital-only free-to-air television in 50 days' time.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission does not intend to oppose Cargill Incorporated's proposed acquisition from Agrium of the commodity management businesses of AWB Limited.

The Director of the Australian Antarctic Division, Lyn Maddock, has announced her retirement to take effect from mid-June, 2011.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has confirmed a 20-year-old Afghan man died last night at the Scherger Immigration Detention Centre (IDC).

TEMPTU, the worldwide leader in airbrush makeup, announced today the donation of sales proceeds from TEMPTU websites to Japan Tsunami & Earthquake Relief to assist the recovery of the victims and areas affected by the devastating earthquake.