BUSINESS

Major currencies were softer against the US dollar on Tuesday ahead of the Federal Reserve decision. The Euro fell from highs near US$1.3445 to US$1.3405, before ending US trade near US$1.3410. The Aussie dollar fell from highs near US94.05c to lows near US93.75c before ending the US session near US93.80c. And the Japanese yen eased from 101.85 yen per US dollar to JPY102.15, ending US trade near JPY102.10.

Long Beach's real estate market is pricing out home buyers with limited budget, according to a report by the Press Telegram.

The planned opening of the Saudi Arabian stock market by early 2015 is an invitation for retail and institutional investors to go beyond national borders when buying stocks.

South Australia approved on Tuesday the application by miner Rex Minerals to construct an $800 million copper, gold and iron ore mine on prime agricultural estate in the Yorke Peninsula.

They're not just performers; they mean serious business.

A man selling his upscale condo unit in Austin, Texas, advertised more than intended when he uploaded a series of photos of the unit on a local listings site with one of photos showing his naked body in the background.

Alliance partner Emirates and Qantas Airways have issued differing pronouncements on flying to warzones, most specially Iraq.

Unexpectedly losing their loved ones to a senseless war was already painful. But families of the 298 victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 may have to endure one final blow, as authorities declared it may be already impossible to retrieve all bodies. The families may have to source from elsewhere their much needed closure.

Share prices of El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc (Nasdaq: LOCO) increased by over 33% on its first day of trading on Friday, July 25, pointing to another hot stock for retail investors to look into.

A behavioral finance expert said members of Generation Y, also known as Millennials, appear to view the stock market as a quick fix to their debt problems, mainly college debts.

A woman and her two granddaughters belonging to the Ahmadi Muslim minority neighbourhood in Pakistan have died from suffocation after their house was burned down, following an alleged blasphemous post on Facebook of a fellow sect member.

Expect another day of hushed trading as the market continues to bide its time ahead of the mass data releases at the end of the week.

In US economic data, the "flash" services index was unchanged at 61.0 in July, above forecasts centred on a result near 59.8. The pending home sales index fell by 1.1% to 102.7 in June, below forecasts centred on a 0.5% gain. And the Dallas Federal Reserve index rose from 11.4 to 12.7 in July.

Australian miners are pessimistic about the future of the mining industry, which was responsible for the current economic boom of the country, in the next few years.

Malaysia Airlines is looking at rebranding options as the tragedies of MH370 and MH17 cast a shadow on the company as well as the entire aviation agency.

Whether we agree with her antics or not, we have to admit -- she sells.

International health experts cautioned the global populace against the dreaded Ebola virus as it killed a Liberian doctor and infected a second medical worker from U.S. Authorities in Nigeria are likewise scrambling the possible spread of the flesh-eating disease following the arrival of an infected man into Lagos, Africa's largest city with 21 million people.

The United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised all Britons currently in Libya to leave the country, citing the ongoing and greater intensity of fighting in Tripoli and wider instability. It likewise has issued a travel ban against the north African nation.

A multi-million pound law suit is looming over Russian President Vladimir Putin's head for his alleged involvement in the uncalled and accidental downing of Malaysia Airlines MH17 on July 17 that claimed 298 lives.

Have you heard of any of these jobs before?

A bar on the Spanish island of Majorca as well as the event planner that planned the bar crawl that filmed an 18-year-old British girl performing oral sex acts on 24 men has been ordered to close and shut down operations for a year.

The international global community led by the U.K. wants the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to take away from Russia the opportunity to host the 2018 World Cup. Vladimir Putin's country is already facing a slew of economic sanctions due to its alleged involvement in the downing of Malaysia Airlines MH17.

Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey called the economy of New Zealand "the envy of the world" during his visit to the small island nation across the Tasman. In an interview with TV ONE, Hockey said Australia could learn some lessons from New Zealand.

After a quiet night of trading on overseas market, where the Dow Jones index closed 3 points weaker and the NASDAQ composite ended down 2 points - the Aussie market closed slightly lower today. At the close of trade the ASX 200 ended down 0.08% or 4.3 points to 5,583 points, the volume traded on the market were once again light as many larger investor wait out of the market ahead of the upcoming profit reporting season here in Australia and key economic data out in the state and china next week....

After Apple's record June quarter earnings report, analysts and investors look forward to the launch of the iPhone 6. The highly anticipated next generation iPhone is a "significant factor" in the current economic activity in several economies in Asia.

A widow from Florida, Cynthia Robinson, won $23.6 billion in a lawsuit against the second-largest tobacco company in the United Stated, R.J. Reynolds.

Rising tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine are sure to impact an already plummeting global economy reeling from slowdowns in the U.S. and China. On Thursday, the International Monetary Fund said projected global growth for 2014 has been lowered to 3.4 per cent, from the previous estimate of 3.7 per cent in April.

The Australian sharemarket is falling for the first time in eight trading days, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) down 0.3 per cent. The falls are still only modest due to a lack of major drivers overnight. Shares in the U.S. finished largely flat despite the S&P500 continuing to hit fresh record highs on a daily basis. Some positive signs for US employment were offset by disappointing profit results.

The mysterious disappearance of one commercial airliner four months ago, plus the three successive crash accidents in just the past week has definitely taken its toll on the jittery global aviation industry. On Wednesday, the British Armed Forces scrambled two of its Royal Air Force aircraft after air controllers lost contact with a private plane. London's military presumably believed the plane had been compromised.