The two remaining independent MPs, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor, today came out in support of Labor, after a lengthy period where they were wooed by Gillard and her rival, Tony Abbott.

In a dramatic morning, which many believed was the most crucial in Australian political history; Mr Windsor first pledged his allegiance, with Mr Oakeshott waiting to be the last to signal his intent to back the incumbent Julia Gillard as prime minister. However, he warned that there would be significant changes to the federal parliament, suggesting that the decision to side with Labor did not automatically provide them with an unconditional mandate to govern. The decision eventually came after 17 days worth of protracted negotiations between the independents and main parties, compounded by an agonising prologue from Mr Oakeshott, who could have caused a hung parliament had he opted for the Liberals. The Labor Party alliance now has 76 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives,

Nationwide broadband facilities were highlighted as being the deciding factor in him joining the Labor coalition, although he did add that both parties had proposed generous reforms in the areas of education, health and regional infrastructure. He also claimed that Labor offered greater stability for Australia.

Mr Oakeshott said his decision was a judgement call that had been line ball all the way, adding that he felt the country still lacked unity as he drew out his announcement to a horde of waiting media. Mr Oakeshott too favoured Labor’s broadband policy, along with their commitment to climate change measures and promises to conduct a summit on tax reform.

A new nationwide study by Ogilvy Illumination, the public affairs company, canvassed 1,000 voters who are still in the dark over how the next government will lead the country.

The survey found that one in every ten voters would change their choice completely if given the opportunity to vote again, which has been mooted in some circles, while 13 per cent of voters claimed they would change the way in which they voted under the preferences system. According to the pollster, this was sufficient evidence to suggest that if Australians were called back to the polling booths, there would be substantial changes to the present make-up of the federal parliament.

The age group most likely to alter their vote were those between 18 and 24, with 18 per cent of these voters saying if given another chance they would choose differently. The study also found that people in Queensland and New South Wales were most prone to swing between preferences, with twice as many people in those states claiming they would vote differently. In the election, these two states experienced the largest swings against the Labour government, suggesting that many might reconsider their move away from the incumbent ruling party.

The country remains in a state of confusion as the four independent candidates continue to mull over their decision as to who to support in a minority coalition. There is also a very real chance that they may decide not to join forces with either of the main parties, thereby forcing the country back to the polls.

The historic walled city of Intramuros inside the Philippine capital of Manila was the scene of the fatal drama, where Rolando Mendoza, 55, boarded the bus armed with an automatic M16. Angry at being dismissed from the force for alleged misconduct two years ago, Mendoza waited until the bus reached Manila Bay’s Jose Rizal Park, where he announced to the 24 passengers that they were being held hostage until he was returned to his old job.

Mendoza had apparently placed a note on the bus door stating ‘big mistake to correct a wrong decision’, while the windscreen bore another message which read ‘release final decision’ in addition to his perceived details of an alleged miscarriage of justice that led to his dismissal.

The incident in reference was from in 2008 when he was accused of planting drugs on a hotel property as part of a scheme to blackmail the owner. Mendoza, once named as one of the Philippines’ ten best officers and with a reputation for being a model policeman, was just weeks away from retirement at the time.

He had released the children and eight others before a negetive reply to his request was delivered. Following this the shootings took place, despite local officers storming the bus in a bid to halt the killings.

The World of Accor event, held last week at the iconic Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, saw the international hotelier and service provider display its latest offerings, and the reception could not have been more welcome.

The Sofitel, the first of the group luxury brand to open in Sydney, was filled by more than 1,300 delegates in what was the biggest World of Accor expo to date, but also accommodated Tony Abbott and Deputy PM Wayne Swann as they hit the election campaign trail. However, the happiest person on the night was Daisy Melwani who won the major prize – a $25,000 Peugeot 207 XR.

Almost 300 of Accor’s properties from across the Asia Pacific region were represented at the event, which was held as the group prepares for the opening of several major new locations, notably the Pullman Bali Legian, Pullman Lijian Resort & Spa, Pullman Kuching and the Novotel Brisbane Airport. Domestic travellers will also benefit from new Mercure hotels in Rooty Hill and Maitland. The general mood was upbeat, with most property managers seeing a bright outlook after a difficult couple of years. 2010 has been a considerable improvement of 2009, and confidence is high for similar growth in 2011. More than 50 hotels have been added to the Accor network, which now features more than 4,000 hotels in 92 countries, in the past year.

The event was hosted by Channel 7’s Sunrise breakfast presenters Natalie Barr and Melissa Doyle, bringing the showcase live to living rooms across Australia.

Mark Papermaster, who headed the hardware engineering department for Apple’s iPhone and iPod since joining the company from IBM in 2009, has been at the helm through one of the company’s most difficult periods.

Papermaster’s departure is widely thought to be linked to the antennae problems that have plagued the iPhone 4. Apple has declined to comment on the reason for his departure, refusing to say whether he was fired or handed in his resignation.

The iPhone was launched globally in June amid much fanfare from the leading personal technology provider. However, users soon reported that the phone had issues with calls dropping out which has since been linked to signal strength that was impaired when the iPhone was held in a certain way.

The problem has been traced to the use of a metal casing which houses the iPhone’s antennas. With two antennae located on the bottom left-hand side of the casing, any bridging of the small gap between them resulted in a decrease of signal strength that eventually disconnected the call.

The result was the thousands of reviewers that were queuing up to evaluate the product ultimately advised customers to shy away from the phone, the most prominent of which being the influential Consumer Reports organisation which confirmed the antennae problems and declared that it was unable to recommend the product. As a solution, free cases have been offered by Apple to all users.

American Airlines was voted by the panel of judges at Global Traveler magazine as serving the Best North American overall wine selection, along with the Best North American Sparkling Wine for its Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Carneros Brut, and Best North American Red Wine for its Murphy Goode Cabernet Sauvignon. The OneWorld Alliance, which American Airlines was a founding member of, was also recognised by being named Best Alliance Wines in the August edition of the leading travel publication.

Vice President for Marketing at American Airlines, Rob Friedman, said the recognition was a testament to the carrier’s commitment to make the onboard experience a pleasurable one, adding that the group worked closely with wine consultant Ken Chase to ensure a quality and variety of offerings. Publisher and CEO, Global Traveler, Francis X Gallagher, congratulated American on their success, saying that the airline had a proud tradition of stellar performance in the wine market.

In a blind taste testing, the judges sampled 49 submitted red wines, 46 white wines, and 23 sparkling wines or champagnes that were on the current menu of 26 leading carriers. The tasting was headed by Eunice Field, a renowned viticulture expert and columnist, and supported by a team of 30 independent experts from the wine industry.

The Australian and International Pilots Association is arguing that the Qantas-owned Jetconnect, which was initially established in New Zealand, is little more than a ‘sham company’, set up by the parent company solely to avoid paying award obligations that exist under a pre-existing employment agreement between Qantas and its pilots.

Created to undertake New Zealand domestic flights last June, Jetconnect was quietly given the responsibility for operating 133 flights per week on the international route between Australia and New Zealand by Qantas. Australian pilots have also pointed out that their New Zealand counterparts have Qantas staff numbers, wear Qantas uniforms and fly Qantas planes on Qantas routes – effectively leaving them as an operational arm of Qantas.

The key difference is that employment conditions are markedly inferior to those within Australia. The New Zealand operation pays a fraction of the superannuation entitlements, while pilots are paid around one-third less in wages. The minimum number of hours is also far less than under the award.

Qantas has denied that there is any link, claiming that Jetconnect is a New Zealand-staffed airline with aircraft originating in that country. The airline will face a full bench of Fair Work Australia to determine if it has deliberately varied the pilot’s award, with a decision against the airline having massive potential ramifications across the airline industry, particularly for airlines that operate budget subsidiaries.

OneWord, which already comprises of 11 major international airlines all built on a reputation as regional leaders, will welcome the addition of the leading passenger airliner Kingfisher. The airline will join such noted others as Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, British Airways and American Airlines in the OneWorld family. Currently operating around 375 flights each day to 71 destinations – mainly on the Indian domestic market – Kingfisher is one of the few airlines to have been awarded the Skytrax 5-star rating which recognises excellence in service and operation. It has also received numerous awards for customer service and performance excellence, and since May 2009 has been the leading carrier in terms of number in the booming airline travel market on the subcontinent. According to a report by Jakarta Post, in 2009 Kingfisher generated over USD $1.2 billion in revenue, and flew nearly 12 million passengers to its range of destinations.

Kingfisher’s joining into the OneWorld alliance, which currently flies to more than 700 global destinations across 150 countries, will allow it to increase its brand exposure to a greater worldwide audience. OneWorld, in return, will be given representation in what is the most rapidly growing airline market in the world.

Kingfisher Airlines Chairman, Vijay Mallya, said his group welcomed the announcement of the new Oneworld partnership, claiming that the alliance the world leader in its field, and one which chose only the world’s best carriers to join the group.

The airline said it will receive the first of the Dreamliner’s in mid-2012, a significantly earlier than expected delivery date for eight new Boeing 787-8s. The first Dreamliner will be utilised by subsidiary Jetstar on its international operations, which includes the long-awaited launch into Southern Europe.

The move is a turnaround from last year’s announcement by Qantas that it intended to delay the delivery of the aircraft for around four years, with the change of direction enabling the airline to take advantage of the improved efficiency which is a highlight of the Dreamliner. The aircraft is apparently 20 per cent more efficient than other models in its class, although production issues and testing delays have still to be ironed out.

Last month saw the US manufacturer discover another quality issue which it said would need addressing, although they claim that the first delivery to All Nippon Airways at the end of 2010 would not be affected. Qantas, which has ordered 50 of the new aircraft, is the second-largest customer for the highly-acclaimed new plane, with the option to purchase an additional 50 craft.

The Dreamliner has been called ideal for both short and long haul medium-density routes, with Asia and Europe set to feature prominently on its itinerary. The Dreamliner has been tipped by insiders to put in an appearance at this weekend’s Farnborough Air Show in the UK.

The action now looks set to take place early next year after no resolution has as yet been found in the ongoing dispute over the rights to the Virgin brand with the airlines largest shareholder and Virgin empire founder Sir Richard Branson.

John Borghetti, the newly appointed CEO for Virgin Blue, had been hoping to confirm the relaunch at the August celebrations of the airline’s 10th anniversary. The most likely scenario is that the company will eventually be relaunched as V, which will combine the four brands of Polynesia Blue, New Zealand-based Pacific Blue, Virgin Blue and V Australia under the one brand. However, the Virgin Group – a 26 per cent stakeholder – has not agreed to any naming as it is still embroiled in a legal battle for both Virgin and V names. Last year Virgin Enterprises blocked Virgin Blue’s quest to trademark V Australia. Further aggravating the airline is a deal with fellow carrier Singapore Airlines which prevents Virgin Blue utilising the Virgin name in the region, much to the frustration of executives who claim that overseas flights are not capitalising fully on the successful Virgin franchise.

Far from being closer to a resolution, both parties have claimed the dispute is increasingly unsettled, hence the six-month delay on the official relaunch. The internal division has intellectual property lawyers querying whether there may be deeper divisions, although most have pointed out that Branson is merely protecting his assets.