AUSTRALIA

China's currency will not be a specific topic of discussion at the G8/G20 meeting, while paying for future oil spills will be on the agenda, the Kremlin's top economic aide said on Monday.

Stocks and commodities jumped on Monday and U.S. Treasuries fell after China let the yuan rise to the highest since July 2005, with more currency flexibility easing tensions with the West and encouraging investors to snap up riskier assets.

Gold continued its upward streak to touch a new all high on Monday due to China's decision to allow flexibility in Yuan that pushed yellow metal to $ 1262.5 per ounce.

Stocks and commodities jumped on Monday and U.S. Treasuries fell as investors bet China will allow the yuan to rise after promising more currency flexibility, easing political tensions with the West and encouraging investors to snap up riskier assets.

Global markets celebrated on Monday at the merest hint that China would let its currency appreciate, showing just how badly the Middle Kingdom is needed to drive a recovery in the sagging world economy.

Global markets celebrated on Monday at the merest hint that China would let its currency appreciate, showing just how badly the Middle Kingdom is needed to drive a recovery in the sagging world economy.

The Australian Dollar has rallied more than one cent this morning after Friday night's close to trade over 0.8800 after the PBOC (People's Bank of China) announced on the weekend that it will make the RMB exchange rate more flexible in the future but will still maintain a trading band of +/-0.5%.

Once engorged to peak levels, the sugar prices have recently bottomed out at ten-month low levels on weak demand due to monsoon season and anticipation of higher-than-expected sugar production this year trimming the gains of the sugar stocks on the bourses.

The Australian dollar has rallied more than half a US cent overnight on the back of gains in equity markets in Europe and the US. The AUD rallied to a high of USD0.8684, driven by stronger equity markets and investor confidence.

The Australian dollar appears to be finding some support around the USD0.8600 level as investor concerns over the European debt crisis ease a little.

The Australian Dollar has continued to push higher overnight following a positive lead from equity markets.

Gold producing countries are ramping up production following the rise in prices in the past few years, according to Gold Made Simple. One of the main factors that influences the price of gold is supply and demand. When demand for gold exceeds supply, which is happening at present, the price of gold goes up and vice versa

Asian stocks slipped on Tuesday, snapping a five-day winning streak, as worries about Europe's debt problems returned after Greece was downgraded to junk status, a move which also stymied the euro's rally.

Asian stocks slipped on Tuesday, snapping a five-day winning streak, as worries about Europe's debt problems returned after Greece was downgraded to junk status, a move which also stymied the euro's rally.

The euro rose on Monday after a burst of short-covering lifted the single currency above $1.22 and further away from a four-year low, but traders were wary about chasing gains and expected its downtrend to continue. The Australian dollar climbed to its highest in a month above $0.8560, extending a rally from late last week on improved risk tolerance and tackling the first layer in a band of resistance at $0.8550-80 which is blocking its path to higher ground.

Kermit who? Miss Piggy what? Muppets creator Jim Henson might be shocked if he looked as his company 20 years after his death. Then again, it might be exactly what he expected and wanted with his children in control.

The euro's short-covering rally took it briefly above $1.22 to its strongest in a week on Monday, although traders were wary about driving it too far, while the Australian dollar climbed to its highest point in four weeks.

Chinese inflation quickened to a 19-month high in May, but a moderation of growth in factory output and capital spending eased worries for some analysts that the world's third-largest economy could boil over.

Chinese inflation quickened to a 19-month high in May, but a moderation of growth in factory production and capital spending could further ease worries that the world's third-largest economy runs the risk of boiling over.

U.S. technology companies hope a preliminary World Trade Organization ruling expected on Friday will persuade the European Union to drop tariffs on three products at the center of the dispute.

The Australian Dollar has opened more than one US cent higher today, buoyed by improved investor sentiment on the global economic recovery.