Staff Reporters

Has reached agreement with First Pacific Mining Lao Co. Ltd to acquire a 60% interest in the sulphide portion of the Pha Luang zinc-lead-silver mine which lies 160 kilometres north of Vientiane.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has obtained orders in the Federal Court appointing a liquidator to wind up an unregistered managed investment scheme promoted by George Peat, a Da

Telstra chief executive officer Ziggy Switkowski to speak at the Graduate Management Association Dinner, April 30 at the University Club, UWA.

Many of the state's ratepayers will be anxious to learn the results of the May 7 local government election after several councils and their elected members have received varying degrees of negative publicity in recent months.

Watershed Premium Wines has announced the appointment of Phil Fletcher as a director and also his engagement as a sales and marketing consultant.

INTERNATIONAL Goldfields, based in Leederville, is currently evaluating the economics of mining its Marda Central gold project, located in the eastern Goldfields, following promising resource estimate

Code: MMX Issue price: $0.20 plus one attaching option for every two shares held. Options exercisable at 20 cents on or before November 30 2007.

Colin Knox became a substantial shareholder with a relevant interest of 4,882,807 ordinary shares (8.07%).

New Smith Opportunities Fund became a substantial shareholder with a relevant interest of 15,000,000 ordinary shares (15.06%).

JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its relevant interest from 13,401,292 ordinary shares (7.20%) to 15,523,488 ordinary shares (8.33%).

Announced a new $5m Joint Venture with Minotaur Exploration Ltd over the Tunkillia Gold Project in South Australia.

Has extended its contract with NSW RailCorp for the design and manufacture of an additional 81 OSCAR passenger railcars. The contract is $262m.

Draft effective lives relating to the commercial office buildings effective life review - released for comment by 6 May 2005. NAT 13300 http://ato.gov.au/distributor.asp?doc=/content/56460.htm

THE Business Council of Australia this week outlined a series of tax reforms viewed as necessary to ensure Australia's future prosperity.

Westonia Mines has appointed David Hatch to the position of managing director follow-ing the resignation of the company's founder Andrew Drummond.

LOCAL biopharmaceutical company Bone Medical has announced that it will employ the Bank of New York for an American Depository Receipt program in the US.

Howard & Leith Dawson ceased to be a substantial shareholder

Souls Private Equity Ltd became a substantial shareholder with a relevant interest of 14,215,708 ordinary shares (13.04%).

Dundee Corporation Inc increased its relevant interest from 28,521,654 ordinary shares (7.84%) to 45,069,284 ordinary shares (11.35%).

Premier State Pty Ltd decreased its relevant interest from 62,505,542 ordinary shares (19.5%) to 59,384,709 ordinary shares (18.53%).

Has moved to a 50.5% holding of ZingoTX by investing another $395,000.

Have agreed to place to non-related parties, 14,989,923 ordinary fully paid shares at an issue price of 2.4 cents per share. The funds raised will amount to $359,758.15 less costs.

Addisons Accountants managing partner Matthew Addison to present the 2005 Tax Year in Review seminar, April 22 at the City West function centre.

As he moves into the role of professional director, outgoing Wesfarmers boss Michael Chaney enthralled an audience of 750 people this week on everything from IR to shareholder returns. He was interviewed on stage by Mark Pownall.

HANCOCK Prospecting has reached an out-of-court settlement with its Pilbara Hope Downs project's South African joint venture partner, Kumba Resources.

WA-BASED gold mining junior Cougar Metals has acquired the gold development project, Alta Floresta, in the northern part of Mato Grosso State in central west Brazil.

Code: ZBB Issue price: $0.50 Principal activities: Develops and manufactures distributed energy storage solutions.

FMR Corp became a substantial shareholder with a relevant interest of 26,159,907 ordinary shares (5.35%).

The Essential Earth Pty Ltd became a substantial shareholder with a relevant interest of 3,159,668 ordinary shares (6.447%).

Cleveland Cliffs Australia Pty Ltd increased its relevant interest from 139,318,658 ordinary shares (79.2980%) to 139,393,105 ordinary shares (79.3403%).

Has entered into a Joint Venture to develop Lot 135 Adelaide Terrace, East Perth.

Have extended deadline for sale of absorbent mineral operations from 31 March 2005 to 29 April 2005.