Business news

Australia shares climb; iron ore, coal miners leadThe Australian dollar opened higher on Monday as investors moved towards riskier assets after better than expected retail sales figures in the US.

Aussie billionaires storm global rich listA dozen Australians - including now American citizen Rupert Murdoch - have made it onto Forbes' annual billionaires' list.

Market blamed for Chinalco-Rio failureChina is blaming market forces and a campaign by BHP Billiton Ltd for the failure of its planned $A21.24 billion investment in Rio Tinto Ltd last year.

Recession pumps up demand for Botox in USThe demand for tummy tucks and boob jobs may have suffered a nip tuck amid the recession, but Americans refused to do without their regular shots of Botox last year, latest data has shown.

Fixed loans fall again, RBA might pauseWeak lending finance is evidence of an economy slowing, after the government stimulus has worn off, and could avert an April interest rate rise, economists say.

Australia dlr sits on recent gains, bonds roll overConsumers who have unwanted gift card vouchers can now trade them for cash through a new online company set up expressly for the purpose.

Heart attack numbers rise when market drops: studyDoctors have found a relation between stock market fluctuations and heart attack frequency, a preliminary study by North Carolina's Duke University Medical Center overnight.

Woolworths pleased with telco progressSupermarket giant Woolworths says its foray into the telecommunications market is proving successful, with parents and kids looking for non-nonsense plans.

Base metal to surpass gold: economistPrices for aluminium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc will rise faster than gold this year as demand from emerging economies increases, a leading economist says.

Online firm starts trade in gift cardsConsumers who have unwanted gift card vouchers can now trade them for cash through a new online company set up expressly for the purpose.

Market Indices 15 March,2010

15/03/2010 17:35 Sydney, Australia.

Index

Value

Change

All Ordinaries	4799.4	-32.1
S&P/ASX 200	4784.1	-34.0

View colour key

Also in this section:

Market Indices15 March,2010

15/03/2010 17:30 Sydney, Australia.

Value

Change

Dow Jones	10624.69	+12.85
NASDAQ	2367.66	+0.0

FTSE 100?

5625.65

+8.39

Japan

Nikkei 225	10751.98	+0.72
Nikkei 300	191.28	+0.42

View colour key

All overseas indices

From the Financial Times

Drive to tap into China demand spurs energy partnerships @FT.com

CNOOC's tie-up with Bridas of Argentina has an intriguing side-effect - it makes the Chinese group a partner of BP of the UK.

Smoother passage beckons @FT.com

The scene in Europe's container ports has changed subtly in recent weeks.

Drive to tap into China demand spurs partnerships @FT.com

CNOOC to pay $3.1bn for Argentine stake @FT.com

Chinese oil explorer to pay $3.21bn for 50% stake in Argentina's Bridas Group in its first foray into Latin America

Copper market looking tarnished

Demand for copper appears to be rising, at least cancelled warrants would suggest so, or would they? John Dizard hears a snort of disbelief among...

Attractive contrarian play brewing in Japan @FT.com

The world's second largest economy is worth a contrarian play, according to a host of investment managers

California launches lawsuit against Toyota @FT.com

In the latest blow to Toyota Motor Corp, a Southern California prosecutor filed the first consumer protection lawsuit against the automaker, claiming...

Beijing throws down direct challenge to Google @FT.com

The Chinese government threw down a direct public challenge to Google yesterday as negotiations over the company's future in the country came to...

PetroVietnam to cut energy imports with $1bn gas pipeline @FT.com

PetroVietnam Gas has signed a milestone $1bn business co-operation contract with Chevron of the US, Japan's Mitsui and Thailand's PTT to build...

Politics puts fast spin on Indian cricket @FT.com

Observers of cricket in India say that the machinations of the country's ministers and powerbrokers are increasingly being drawn to the game.

Oil falls after energy watchdog lifts forecasts

Crude oil prices fell after disappointing US consumer confidence data while sugar prices managed a partial rebound after their pounding this week

Xbox regains lead in console battle @FT.com

Microsoft's Xbox 360 console outsold Nintendo's Wii in the US last month for the first time in more than two years

PetroVietnam Gas inks $1bn pipeline @FT.com

PetroVietnam Gas has signed a $1bn business co-operation contract to build and operate a pipeline running from the gas fields off Vietnam's southern...

Twitter faces a battle for tweets @FT.com

A Japanese website called Ameba Now is one of the first signs of micro-blogging website Twitter's vulnerability to competition.

Oil rises after energy watchdog lifts forecasts

Crude oil prices rose amid expectations for an improvement in demand growth this year while sugar prices managed a partial rebound after their...

Japanese delistings @FT.com

There's no neater summation of Japan's rise and fall than the number of foreign listings on the Tokyo Stock Exchange

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From the front page

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Man posed as doctor: court

Man 'had ecstasy pills down his pants'

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Most popular

Large shark spotted off Melbourne beachSome swimmers at one of the most popular beaches in Melbourne had to rush ashore after a large shark was spotted in the water just metres away from them, but others weren't so concerned.

Michael Clarke in Sydney bar rowEmbattled cricketer Michael Clarke has flown out of Australia this morning as news breaks of the vice-captain reportedly lashing out at a woman for taking his photo in a Sydney bar.

Man accused of posing as doctor in courtA man accused of posing as a doctor at the Alice Springs Hospital for months has had his bail hearing adjourned.

Woman aims to become world's fattestAn obese mother in the US is trying to put on weight in order to become the world's fattest woman.

Girls must stay with sex offender dadTwo young girls have been ordered to spend weekends with their convicted sex offender father provided he puts a lock on their bedroom door.

Rise in gonorrhoea cases in NewcastleHealth authorities have warned of an alarming spike in gonorrhoea cases in the NSW port city of Newcastle.

Man 'had ecstasy pills down his pants'A man allegedly had almost 800 ecstasy tablets tucked down the front of his pants when he was stopped by police in Sydney.

Man forced to leave friend to drown in caveA Victorian scuba diver was forced to leave his friend to drown in an underwater cave after he became trapped.

Dad in accident triggered by memoryA father grieving for his dead son, killed in a knife attack, was involved in a potentially fatal car smash last week after being overcome by a sobbing fit.

Plumbers called after Bingle's diamond 'flushed'Plumbers were called to the luxury Bondi apartment early Saturday morning where Michael Clarke and Lara Bingle lived together, to retrieve Bingle's $200,000 engagement ring after it was reportedly flushed down the toilet.