AUSTRALIA

In the midst of the economic slowdown, half the assets managed by the world's largest fund managers are now pension fund assets.

Kanye West and Jay Z?s CD, ?Watch the Throne,? isn?t the mega hit that was hoped for. Universal Music/DefJam angered record stores (what?s left of em) and download services like amazon.com because it gave ITunes a four day jump on downloads last week. The results, according to hitsdailydouble.com, was sales of 290,000.

Watching six hours of television a day could shorten your life by up to five years, an Australian Study has revealed.

Half of the assets managed by the world?s largest money managers are now pension fund assets.

The World Bank chief Tuesday called for national governments to seek long-term debt curbs to solve the current sovereign debt crises in Europe and the United States, but said it was too early for special action by the Group of 20 nations.

The World Bank called for national governments to seek long-term debt curbs on Tuesday to solve the current sovereign debt crises in Europe and the United States, but said it was too early for special action by the Group of 20 nations.

Brent crude for September fell 26 cents to $109.65 by 3:57 a.m. GMT, after falling to as low as $109.23 earlier. U.S. crude was down 34 cents at $87.54 a barrel.

Australia's Qantas Airways unveiled plans on Tuesday to set up two new Asia-focused airlines and launch a $9 billion-plus fleet upgrade, part of a do-or-die makeover that also gives a major boost to plane maker Airbus .

In the patent war over Samsung's Galaxy tablet in Europe, Apple may have released false evidence to the German courts against the Korean firm.

Manufacturing in the New York area contracted for the third straight month in August, data showed on Monday, tempering any lingering hopes for a rebound in the U.S. economy in the second half of the year.

The chief executive of Harmony Gold, Africa's third largest gold producer, said on Monday he remained committed to a 2015 output target of 2 million ounces despite a decline in production over the last financial year.

Tanzania plans to conclude negotiations with mining companies early next month to allow the government to raise royalty payments on gold exports to 4 percent from 3 percent.

Newcrest Mining , the world's No.3 gold miner, plans to focus on expanding in Asia, where it will spend A$9 billion ($9.3 billion) to boost its gold output by 50 percent over the next five years.

Asian equities bounced on Monday and safe-haven assets like gold and the Swiss franc fell as market players cautiously returned to pick up bargains after last's week wild ride, though concerns over the weak global economic outlook may keep gains in check.

Samsung's Galaxy products are increasingly disappearing from store shelves in Europe and Australia thanks to an intellectual property fight with Apple, say recent reports.

Serena Williams won her second straight tournament and proved her mettle ahead of the U.S. Open with a convincing 6-4 6-2 win over Australia's Samantha Stosur in the Toronto Cup final on Sunday.

Asian equities bounced on Monday and safe-haven assets like gold and the Swiss franc fell as market players cautiously returned to pick up bargains after last's week wild ride, though concerns over the weak global economic outlook may keep gains in check.

British finance minister George Osborne is recruiting international support for his unyielding stance on deficit cutting, the Financial Times said on Monday.

China's state-owned Bright Food Group has agreed to buy Australian branded food business Manassen Foods, giving it an enterprise value of over A$500 million ($516 million), a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Sunday.

The loss of market confidence in economic leadership in key countries like the United States and Europe coupled with a fragile economic recovery have pushed markets into a new danger zone, something that policymakers have to take seriously, the head of the World Bank said on Sunday.

The loss of market confidence in economic leadership in key countries like the United States and Europe coupled with a fragile economic recovery have pushed markets into a new danger zone, something that policymakers have to take seriously, the head of the World Bank said on Sunday.