AJ Lucas Group Limited

Australian shares rallied on Thursday after a strong lead from overseas market, and the gains were fuelled by the better-than-expected employment data in Australia. Total employment was up by 45,900 in June, compared to expectations of an increase of 15,000. Australia's unemployment rate in June was a seasonally adjusted 5.1 per cent, beating the economists' prediction of 5.2 per cent.

The Board of Directors of Drillsearch Energy Ltd (ASX:DLS)(PINK:DRLLF) are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. John Whaley as Chief Commercial Officer. John will take on responsibility for the development and commercialisation of Drillsearch's assets together with managing acquisitions and divestments.

Yesterday, Australian shares rose more than 1%, led by some banks and miners. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 share index closed up 44 points, or 1.3%, to 3,486.8, and the broader All Ordinaries index rose 37.1 points, or 1.1%, to 3,431.9.

Yesterday Australian shares closed lower as almost all sectors were down. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 35.2 points, or 0.98 per cent, at 3556.2, while the broader All Ordinaries index was down 36.8 points, or 1.04 per cent, at 3,498.9 points. Telecom sector continued to lose on Telstra's failure to submit an adequate tender for the national broadband network.