UNITED STATES

The Australian Dollar opens on Monday at 0.8995 after a surprise rate raise in the United States last Friday (local time) sent the greenback soaring against several major currencies.

Iran hopes to double trade with Iraq to $8 billion this year, an Iranian diplomat said on Sunday, shrugging off Western-backed sanctions aimed at curbing business with the Islamic Republic.

Schlumberger Ltd said it agreed to buy Smith International in a $11.34 billion all-stock deal that will boost the oilfield services leader's revenue to double that of its nearest rival.

Wall Street could keep rallying after notching its best week this year if Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gives a reassuring assessment of the recovery and retail earnings show improvement.

Two U.S. drug safety reviewers have recommended that GlaxoSmithKline PLC's diabetes drug Avandia be pulled from the market after concluding it is more dangerous to the heart than a rival medicine, according to documents released on Saturday.

A prestigious Chinese university and a lesser-known vocational school have denied a report they were the source of recent cyber attacks on Internet giant Google and other U.S. corporations, Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.

A General Growth Properties Inc shareholder has filed suit against the company's directors, saying they should not have rejected Simon Property Group Inc's buyout offer of $10 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday.

President Barack Obama, in need of securing votes in Congress to support his agenda in the coming years, came to the Western U.S. this week to help raise campaign funds for a pair of struggling Senators from his party.

Three of international ice hockey's greatest rivalries take center stage for a hat-trick of grudge matches in what is being billed as Olympic Super Sunday at Canada Hockey Place. Sports

Austrian Andrea Fischbacher unleashed the performance of her life on Saturday to win the women's super-G gold medal as organizers of the Vancouver Olympics faced fresh complaints about safety standards.

A Chinese vocational school has denied a report it was a source of recent cyber attacks on Internet giant Google and other U.S. corporations, Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.

Al Qaeda aims to infiltrate Central Asia to train militants and turn the ex-Soviet region into a zone of unrest, a U.S. envoy said on Saturday.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said world powers would have to take new action against Iran in the next few weeks if Tehran continues to reject Western proposals on its disputed nuclear programme.

India will narrow down the number of bidders by mid-2010 for its $11 billion fighter jet tender, a minister said, in a closely watched deal where diplomacy and strategic interests will play a big role.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai renewed his call on Saturday for the Taliban to accept his peace proposal, after a NATO offensive and the capture of a top Taliban leader raised hopes the group could be more flexible.

President Barack Obama urged Democrats and Republicans on Saturday to find common ground at a White House summit next week he hopes will rejuvenate efforts to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system.

Iran sees an increase in oil demand in the second half of 2010 by between 1 and 1.4 million bpd which the major OPEC producer thinks will cause a rise in oil prices, Iranian media said on Saturday.

Simon Property Group Inc said it could not agree to conditions General Growth Properties Inc wanted to impose before talks about Simon's $10 billion bid for the No. 2 U.S. mall owner.

Canada's stated aim of winning a lion's share of medals in their home Games has led to high excitement in the streets of Vancouver and hopes for a lasting legacy, Canadian Olympics chief Chris Rudge said on Friday.

Aksel Lund Svindal flashed down Whistler mountain to win the men's super-G Friday and deny American Bode Miller an elusive gold medal at the Winter Olympics as Norway stormed up the medals table.

The largest U.S. auto insurer alerted regulators earlier than first believed about a worrying trend of accidents involving Toyota Motor Corp vehicles, while the Obama administration's top transportation official said on Friday he would not relax pressure on the carmaker.