Asian shares up, US dollar firm on US data and other top stories.

• Asian shares up, US dollar firm on US data

  

  Asian shares up, US dollar firm on US data

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• Tiny fruit fly sours Australia's big ambitions in agriculture

  

  The Queensland fruit fly is causing headaches for would-be fruit exporters. Pic of Queensland fruit fly supplied by DPI victoria ... A tiny fruit fly is undermining Australia's efforts to grow its $4 billion fruit and vegetable exports, despite the country reaching a series of free trade agreements with its largest trading partners in Asia.Australia sealed trade agreements with China, Japan and Korea last year - deals that guaranteed a significant reducti..

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• groups on warpath for 'forgotten regions'

  

  Advance Cairns chairman Trent Twomey is heading a consortium of NQ economic groups lobbying the government for a “Royalties for Regions” proposal. PICTURE: SUPPLIEDADVANCE Cairns is heading a consortium of economic progress groups in North Queensland demanding State Gov­ernment infrastructure invest­ment be targeted towards regional areas.Advance Cairns, Townsville Enterprise and Capricorn Ent­erprise are pushing for a Royalties for Regions policy in Queensland.The scheme would result in state r..

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• Aussie market tipped for modest rise

  

  Aussie market tipped for modest rise

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• Private health insurance: Labor attacks size of premium rises

  

  Labor has criticised the size of private health insurance premium rises after reports that up to half a million Australians may drop their cover. This month the government announced it would approve private health insurance premium rises of 5.59% on average from 1 April, slightly less than the 6.2% demanded last year. The price increases will cost about $200 a year for families and $100 a year for singles. Related: Private health cover: governments only care about rising costs when they're pa..

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• Telstra warned on impact of network outages

  

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• Australia's ghost suburbs a 'national scandal'

  

  Investors are snapping up Sydney homes and leaving them empty.“PERVERSE” tax incentives are encouraging investors to leave tens of thousands of homes empty in Australia’s most desirable suburbs, adding fuel to the housing affordability crisis, new research has suggested.The analysis by the University of Sydney’s City Futures Research Centre compared the 90,000 vacant dwellings across metropolitan Sydney — as of the 2011 census — with the rate of return investors made by renting out a property.Th..

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Man charged with killing housemate in a fight in a Brisbane home. .	Marchers Condemn Obama's Visit on the 40th Anniversary of Argentina's Dictatorship .
Property market improving in Brisbane .	Music Industry College: Brisbane's school of rock mentors future ... .