Vittorio Hernandez

With the three largest producers of iron ore in Australia targeting large increases in their output for the key steelmaking ingredient, the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics (BREE) lowered on Wednesday its forecast for the commodity.

Despite the disbelief by some relatives of Chinese passengers of the ill-fated Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 that their kin are now presumed dead, more evidence are being discovered supporting the theory of Inmarsat that the jet crashed into the southern Indian Ocean. The latest is the spotting by the French Airbus satellite of 122 pieces of potential objects that possibly are the debris of the jet. However, Malaysian acting Transport Minister Hishammudin bin Hussein, who announced the new disco...

The Australian share market rose convincingly today, helped out by strong gains from our mining players and a positive offshore lead. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) closed off the highs of the day, but managed to rise 36.2 points or 0.7 per cent by close to 5387.2.

The Australian share market is performing strongly at lunchtime in the East, following a rebound on European and US share markets overnight. European markets rose on Tuesday, lifted by expectations of stimulus measures from the European Central Bank, while a rebound in biotech shares helped Wall Street.

The bets are growing that further stimulus measures across Europe and China will be introduced over the coming months, as both the ECB and the PBoC look to give confidence and economic growth a further nudge.

In US economic data, the Conference Board consumer confidence measure lifted from 78.2 to 82.3 in March -a six-year high. Better weather and an improving labour market could lift confidence further. The S&P/Case-Shiller composite index of home prices in 20 metropolitan areas rose 0.8% in January. Prices rose 13.2% on a year ago. New home sales fell by 3.3% in February to an annual rate of 440,000 - the lowest level since September.

American boxer just posted on his Instagram account a short video clip of himself preparing for his May 3 bout with Argentinean boxer Marcos Maidana. One of the toning techniques that he uses is raising himself up with the assistance of two burly aides and then moving his feet while suspended in the air.

A man from New Zealand suffered a double whammy when he filed a $70,000 lawsuit against a prostitute for failing to complete a sex session with him. He claimed the sex trade worker breached the country's Consumer Guarantee Acts when she did not deliver a service she was paid for.

A 19-year-old Briton from Newscastle upon Tyne has become so obsessed with his selfie that he spent an average of 10 hours taking about 200 photos of himself using his iPhone. However, when he couldn't find the perfect picture, Danny Bowman attempted to commit suicide, the Daily Mirror reports.

De Morgen, a Belgian daily, is under heavy criticism globally for its racist photo of U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama photoshopped to make them look like apes.

Embattled Malaysia Airlines, which is already spending a lot of money taking care of relatives of the 239 people aboard the ill-fated Flight 370, should brace for more expenses as its declaration that the passengers and crew are considered dead could lead to huge compensation claims.

Following the Monday night TV announcement by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak that the missing Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 jet likely crashed into the Indian Ocean, families of the 239 passenger and crew expressed grief and anger.

The Australian share market closed in the red today, but managed to rally off earlier lows as mining stocks lifted into positive territory and as several companies lifted their earnings guidance.

Sellers have dictated terms in early trade on the ASX on Tuesday. The unconvincing tone on Wall St in addition to underlying concerns about the state of Chinese growth have been enough to keep every ASX sector in the red.

Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg sentenced MP Craig Thomson on Tuesday to 12 months prison term for using $24,000 of Health Services Union (HSU) funds to pay for prostitutes and personal expenses.

The worst HSBC PMI print in eight months now sees growth estimates in the world's second largest economy possibly below 7%, and therefore well below the official estimates of 7.5%.

In US economic data, the ´´flash´´ purchasing managers index fell from a 4-year high of 57.1 to 55.5 in March, below forecasts for a result near 56.5. The national activity index rose from -0.39 to +0.14 in February. The composite Euro zone purchasing managers index eased from 53.3 to 53.2 in March, but the French index rose from 47.9 to 51.6. The Chinese manufacturing gauge fell from 48.5 to 48.1 in March.

Although Argentinean boxer Marcos Maidana beat American boxer Adrien Broner and captured the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title in San Antonio, Texas, in December 2013, he considers Broner stronger than his May 3 opponent.

One press conference and a movie-star face were all it took to launch Natalia Poklonskaya, Crimea's new and very beautiful attorney-general, to Internet fame.

A Kiwi house thief, dubbed as Spiderman, pleaded on Monday guilt to 19 charges, including the theft of expensive and branded items such as Prada watches and Louis Vuitton bags.

The mysterious disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 with 239 passengers and crew on board was enough to keep the world glued on for latest developments about the search that now involves about two dozen nations.

More objects have been spotted by Australian satellites floating on the Indian Ocean, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced on Monday. His disclosure came after two objects were photographed by the Australian satellites on Thursday and similar items were likewise captured separately by Chinese satellites.

Relatives of the passengers of the ill-fated Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 were seen on late Monday leaving the conference room of a hotel in Beijing after watching a televised announcement by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. The PM said there is no doubt that the Boeing 777 with 239 passengers and crew crashed into the Indian Ocean with likely no survivors.

The Australian share market closed slightly firmer today, despite a negative start on the back of falls on Wall Street on Friday night and weaker than expected Chinese data.

New South Wales released over the weekend the state's dress code for public school teachers. The code bans the tutors from wearing jandals, T-shirts, any apparel with alcohol advertising and daggy clothes when at school.

The ASX 200 has spent the early part of the session in the red on Monday. Sellers pushed the index down by as much as 37 point in early trade before the market found some traction.

Friday night saw the US snap its run of flat to negative weeks, with the S&P registering its best week in four.

In US economic data, the weekly Economic Cycle Research Institute index eased from 133.8 to 132.9 but was up 2.3% over the year compared with a 2.1% annual gain in the previous week.

In a poignant display of love between a zoo keeper and animals, a photo of a giraffe kissing the terminally ill zoo employee has gone viral.