AUSTRALIA

The yen reversed steep early gains and slid on Monday in choppy trade as market players bought the Australian dollar against the Japanese currency ahead of an expected rate hike in Australia this week.

China's No. 2 nickel producer Jilin Jien's ambition to expand its Canadian footprint, is facing its biggest hurdle as investors look set to reject its final bid for early-stage miner Canadian Royalties.

Asian stocks bounced back on Friday from their worst drop in two months, with investors taking heart from the United States' return to economic growth, which gave reassurance on the recovery's staying power.

Asian shares fell sharply on Thursday after weak U.S. economic data rekindled investor worries about growth, while hedge funds sold risky assets, lifting the yen and supporting the dollar.

Asian shares fell on Thursday after a set of weak U.S. data rekindled worries about global growth and prompted a shift away from riskier assets, lifting the yen and underpinning the dollar.

Blackstone Group's COO Tony James said on Wednesday he foresees a gradual shift in the coming years of capital pools away from the United States to Asia, the Middle East and other areas of the globe.

At the lowest point in his life, former Australian army engineer Donny Paterson broke into a clinic to steal drugs to feed his morphine addiction, but 2004's devastating Indian Ocean tsunami saved him from himself.

Australian director Baz Luhrmann's outback epic Australia was passed over on Wednesday for the top film awards in his home country, presented by the Australian Film Institute.

International movie distributors have shunned a film on exiled Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer, whom China condemns as a separatist, because they fear Beijing's wrath, the film's producer said on Tuesday.

A solar car made by students from Japan's Tokai University was on Wednesday named the winner of a 3,000 km (1,864 miles) race across the Australian outback which aimed to show that green cars can also be mean.

Michael Jackson's This Is It premiered to a star-filled crowd including Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez and four of the singer's brothers on Tuesday, winning early praise from critics and showing fans that the King of Pop could still entertain.

Australia stepped up lobbying ahead of the global climate talks in Copenhagen on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd accepting a key role as Climate Change Minister Penny Wong heads to Spain for talks.

Asian cities are likely to beat Australia in the race to become a carbon-trading hub, despite Australian plans to set up the region's first cap-and-trade market, industry experts said on Wednesday.

Michael Jackson's This Is It premiered to a star-filled crowd including Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez and four of the singer's brothers on Tuesday, winning early praise from critics and showing fans that the King of Pop could still entertain.

Asian shares fell on Wednesday after a dip in U.S. consumer confidence revived worries about the pace of economic recovery, while the Australian dollar hit a two-week low as inflation data pared bets on an aggressive rate rise.

Asian shares fell on Wednesday after a dip in U.S. consumer confidence revived worries about the pace of economic upturn, while the Australian dollar eased as inflation data made investors reduce their bets on an aggressive rate rise.

Global consumer confidence is rebounding, and in the United States has risen for the first time since 2007, amid signs the world economy is picking up although spending is still restrained, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Australia needs to adopt a national policy to combat rising sea levels, which may see people forced to abandon coastal homes and banned from building beachside homes, said a parliamentary climate change committee.

Asian shares followed Wall Street lower on Tuesday with resources stocks under pressure as the price of oil stayed below $79 and with investors growing increasingly worried about the recovery of the world economy.

The Australian Dollar opens lower on Tuesday at 0.9140 as the recent positive sentiment towards high-yielding currencies evaporated overnight as stocks and commodities both declined.