BUSINESS

By Chris Weston, IG MarketsEvery now and then the market picks a currency, throws it firmly in the spotlight and runs with it.

During an interview, Apple Inc’s co-founder Steve Wouzniak had a bunch of things to say about Apple, the iPhone and where the Cupertino-California is headed in the absence of the late Steve Jobs, former CEO and co-founder.

The Australian share market closed in the red today for the first time since last Wednesday as concerns of a US led invasion into Syria jittered investors around the globe and saw a slide in commodity prices during Asian trade.

Australian packaging major, Amcor Ltd., is strengthening its position in the growing Indian packaging sector to achieve organic and inorganic growth. Meanwhile, reports say, the company plans to split its divisions - retaining its plastics divisions and establishing a new company for its other units.

With millions of dollars worth of fruits and vegetables going to waste each year, due to inadequate storage infrastructure, India has sought expertise from New Zealand for the development of cold storage facilities in the country.

Verizon’s decision not to enter the wireless market in Canada any more may turn out to be critical for Canadians.

Slow growth is expected to continue in the near term as the economy adjusts to lower levels of mining investments, says Glenn Stevens, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), in his statement on monetary policy decision issued on Tuesday.

In the wake of the Nokia-Microsoft $7.1BN deal, can Nokia improve problematic Microsoft Windows phone image and why does Nokia refuse to sell its full patent to Microsoft?

The Australian sharemarket is slipping for the first time in five trading sessions, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) down 0.6 per cent at lunch. Continued tensions in Syria and an increased probability of QE tapering in the US later this month are catalysts.

LinkedIn filed for a secondary offering of $1 billion to boost the US-based social media company’s funding for acquisitions and international expansion.

Microsoft finally purchased Nokia's mobile business along with a long-term licence of its patent portfolio and Here maps products which shocked the industry. Will the combined force send Windows Phone OS and Nokia back to the top? Here are five benefits for Microsoft on acquiring Nokia mobile.

Apple has already sent media invitations for its event on Sept 10 and the invites hinted on iPhone 5S, 5C and iOS7

The New Zealand dollar continued to slip against the Australian dollar after the Reserve Bank of Australia has indicated it has no plans of cutting interest rates further at its current rate of 2.5 per cent. The news has crushed investors who were hoping for another round of rate cuts.

Laura Dixon, a 34-year-old Briton who has been vegetarian all her life, claims McDonald's meat menu helped her become pregnant, and her proof is that she did not only have a baby but a set of twin boys and another baby girl!

Google announced on Wednesday that the next version of its Android OS, the Android 4.4, will be called Kit Kat, not Key Lime Pie as earlier speculated.

The continued protest by Romanians over the proposed grant of a mining permit to dig gold and silver from Europe's largest gold mine to be given to Canada's Rosia Montana has led Romanian President Traian Basescu to suggest on Tuesday the holding of a referendum on the issue.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 23 points or 0.2% while the S&P gained 0.4% to 1639 and the Nasdaq added 0.

Stock markets predict the outcome of wars. At least legendary investment banker Barton Biggs reckons so. We're reading his book Wealth, War and Wisdom in preparation for the Syrian attack.

Apologies to Chris Leithner for using and abusing the title of his excellent book in our headline. But The Evil Princes of Martin Place are at it again - they're fixing the interest rate and creating inflation. We're calling it the evil pincers of Martin Place, which is where the Reserve Bank of Australia is based.

As the release date of iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C is drawing near, retail outlets are slashing the prices of the devices in their inventory. The latest in this line is Wal-Mart which has started to carry the iPhone 5 and third-generation iPad at a steep discount, at least for Apple products.

There were mixed reactions from employees of Nokia when reports came out on Tuesday that the Finnish phone maker is selling the company to American firm Microsoft. However, in the case of the stock market, the reaction was negative, resulting to a 4.5 per cent decline in share prices of Microsoft.

The Australian sharemarket edged higher, with the ASX200 Index (XJO) cracking through 5200pt mark for the first time since the middle of May. The closure of US markets overnight due to the Labor Day holiday kept investors a little quieter than usual however.

Mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) revised on Monday its production forecast for iron ore over the next five years amid lower volume of orders for the key steel-making ingredient from China.

It was like Christmas in September for 10,000 workers of Chinese technology giant Lenovo over the weekend as they received about $325 each because their boss, Chief Executive Officer Yang Yuanqing, distributed his $3 million bonus to his employees.

Vodafone has sold its Verizon Wireless stakes to Verizon Communications.

Reports of a strong manufacturing sector emanating from China lifted market spirits and held out some hope for the Australian and New Zealand currency on Monday. Along with the upbeat news from China was U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to seek congressional approval for possible action against Syria.

Leading scientists and researchers from Australia and India will receive funding, as part of a joint multi-million programme to undertaken cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, including information and communication technology, vaccines and marine science. The funding under the Australia- India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF), the governments of Australia and India will support 15 new collaborative projects and eight joint workshops.

The Australian share market is slightly firmer at lunchtime following solid gains on European markets on the back of positive manufacturing data there. Wall Street was closed for Labor Day.

Apple Inc. announces updates on trade-in programs