AUSTRALIA

The credit crunch may have dented some motorists' dreams of owning a Ferrari but the rental market for luxury cars in many countries, including Australia, is gathering speed as the rest of the auto industry splutters.

Macquarie Group Ltd, Australia's top investment bank, agreed to buy U.S. asset manager Delaware Investments for $428 million in cash from Lincoln National Corp, continuing a trend of consolidation in the fund management business.

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it was up to national regulatory authorities to decide whether to extend the shelf life of the flu drug Tamiflu by two years, as recommended by Swiss drug maker Roche.

Promising IPOs, Official Tax Deal?; Opel Finals

Macquarie Group Ltd , Australia's top investment bank, agreed to buy U.S. asset manager Delaware Investments for $428 million in cash from Lincoln National Corp , continuing a trend of consolidation in the fund management business.

Australia and China struck their biggest trade deal on Tuesday, as the world's two most valuable listed oil companies, Exxon Mobil Corp and PetroChina , reached a $41 billion liquefied natural gas agreement.

Poised for Recovery, Big Gas Deal, Stocks Hit Wall

Australia and China struck their biggest trade deal ever on Tuesday as the world's two most valuable listed oil companies, Exxon Mobil and PetroChina , agreed a $41 billion liquefied natural gas deal.

Global miner Rio Tinto agreed to sell its Alcan packaging unit for about $2 billion to Australia's Amcor Ltd , easing its debt burden after an ill-timed acquisition two years ago.

Reader's Digest Association Inc, whose namesake magazine has been a staple of dentists' offices for generations, said on Monday it planned to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for its U.S. businesses as part of a prearranged plan with lenders to cut debt by 75 percent.

Reader's Digest Association Inc, publisher of the widely-read Reader's Digest magazine, said on Monday it would likely file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for its U.S. businesses to cut its debt load.

Reader's Digest Association Inc, publisher of the widely-read Reader's Digest magazine, said on Monday it would likely file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for its U.S. businesses to cut its debt load.

With two rivals set to merge, pressure is mounting on Japan's Asahi Breweries to be more aggressive on acquisitions and map out a clear growth path as its home market shrinks.

The Australian unit of Swiss bank UBS AG thriving, even as its parent struggles in the global financial crisis, and has earned a reputation for snatching deals from rivals and making a success of them.

Despite unveiling a face-saving iron ore deal with Australia's Fortescue Metals Group on Monday, China's embattled steel industry body CISA seems to be ceding its grip on the levers of China's iron ore pricing talks.

TomTom's much anticipated turn by turn app for the iPhone was released on Monday on iTunes for $99. The app uses the iPhone's built-in GPS chip to provide users with real-time navigation directions

The world may be slowly emerging out of recession, but the global financial crisis appears to have gone unnoticed to a whole swathe of people: teenagers.

Australia's No.3 iron ore miner, Fortescue Metals Group , has agreed to supply China at a 3 percent discount to prices offered by its bigger rivals, in a deal that will allow Chinese steel mills to claim a partial victory in their quest for a better iron ore settlement.

Indian Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan said he felt angry and humiliated after he was detained and questioned at a U.S. airport, sparking an uproar in India among his fans.

Mexico's Cemex, the world's No. 3 cement maker, said on Friday it finalized a $15 billion debt restructuring to avoid default and announced it could sell shares worth about $1.7 billion as part of the deal.

BHP Billiton has hired Bank of America-Merrill Lynch to advise it on a sale of its Ravensthorpe nickel operation in an auction which could fetch $1 billion, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday.