Okay - well might as well have my tuppence worth I guess and it...

Okay - well might as well have my tuppence worth I guess and it could well prove to be only worth about tuppence - if that.

Now, at the outset let me clearly say that these are the ravings of a rather tired traveller who has returned to find the world turned upside down and who has just waded through several hundred posts.
So I risk being hopelessly wrong - but here goes.

Trading Halt ?
"Speeding Ticket" ..... hmmm. Maybe. ASX may be looking closely at trading patterns.
Last time there was a Trading Halt for RAU was back on Dec 5, 2006 and was followed by an announcement on Dec 6 about a change in the Luzon merger.
So "speeding" or some "announcement" of significance ?

First - I don't think it has anything to do with a Republic / Icon deal over Mt C. Not on the cards in my opinion.
I cannot imagine that JK would want to turn around and do a deal with Icon after GN spurned his buy offer.
Nor can I see there being any chance of legal action against GN over Mt. C.
Could be wrong but it just does not ring true for me.

Second - the possibility of a takeover offer. I tend to treat that comment with a great deal of caution. It really does not make sense to me. Not unless some company knows a lot more than the general shareholder knows. Which is possible. But I would be surprised if it was a takeover offer.
Doesn't mean it can't be but again it does not seem to ring true to me.

Thirdly - Chinese related. Mmmmmm. Slightly more believable but perhaps a bit too early unless someone has already been to China.
Announcement released Monday 17th March indicated that the Company would visit China within the next four weeks to commence detailed discussions .......
This week is going to be that 4th week. I think that "the Company" may be going this week. I doubt that discussions have taken place yet (could be wrong but...)
I interpret the comment about "commence detailed discussions... " to indicate that the discussions could takes several days or even a week or more to thrash out.

So if the announcement is Chinese related then it may be just an indication that the "company" is heading off and perhaps a further comment on what the discussions could involve. Nothing too much - not too much detail.

Fourthly - and this is a little left field. It could be Luzon related (deja vue - last trading halt ). Luzon should have posted a response to the legal challenge or done something. Certainly it is very difficult to track down official positions or info on Luzon but I suspect that if there has been no legal response then there have been things going on behind the scenes there to sort out a suitable agreement. That is that Republic will be accommodated with being given shares in Luzon equivalent to the $2.2 m owed which effectively will hand control of Luzon to RAU (IMHO)
Late Monday evening announcement release could be done to coincide with Canadian TSX opening - possibly?

Fifthly - and this is possible but more of a long shot. That Republic will announce the "major" project that was mentioned a couple of months ago. Must be getting close to making comment on that.

Okay I have put the skittles in position. Now let's see if any of them are left standing after tomorrow or early Tuesday !