BUSINESS

The positive leads from global markets led by the rise in the U.S. equities Friday have not provided enough boost to prop up the sentiment in the Australian stock market early on Monday.

By Kathleen Brooks, Research Director UK EMEA, FOREX.com• Searching for the next crisis• What's driving the dollar?• Europe: what happened to the LTRO?A couple of weeks ago the market was able to shrug off the prospect of a Greek default and a sharply rising oil price.

Boeing joined the chorus of opposition against the now controversial emission trading scheme of the European Union (EU) and called on Brussels to seriously reconsider the economic implications of its new regulation.

You've heard of small man syndrome, but do drivers of small cars suffer from a similar need to overcompensate for their vehicle's diminutive dimensions? According to a study commissioned by local insurer AAMI, the answer is yes.

The long wait for the Android 4.0 update for Samsung's Galaxy Note has been further extended, with the giant Asian mobile device maker admitting this week that Ice Cream Sandwich's (ICS) arrival will be delayed.

The successor to the Maserati Quattroporte has been spied testing on an icetrack in Sweden.

Australia's property obsession is reaching a frenzy. There is talk of a being able to bet on a new property index, clearance rates are making news alongside gossip columns and some analysts are warning of an impending crash.

India has long been touted as the next coming emerging economy, and judging by the performance up to last year, it was a contender.

With the reports in the past week from Myer, David Jones, Kathmandu and OrotonGroup we know Australian retailing had a tough six months or so at the back end of 2011 and early this year, but has it been as tough as much of the reporting and commentary suggested?

They've been gathering strength now for a couple of months - February saw them start to sound very upbeat.

UK house prices rose 1.11% during 2011, according to Nationwide. However in inflation-adjusted terms, UK house prices were actually down by 3.4%, following a series of annual house price drops during the past three quarters.

Qantas Airways has rejected a Senate proposal that would require the airline to first secure clearance with government regulators before it can implement fleet grounding like it did last year.

Clicking today's Google doodle will take you to search results for "Juan Gris."

The $200 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) fresh initiatives in Australia got another boost this week as Woodside Petroleum Ltd revealed the imminent shift to full production activity of its Pluto LNG processing facility in Western Australia.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 78 points or 0.6% while the S&P lost 0.7% to 1392 and the Nasdaq fell 0.

Microsoft wants to dominate the smartphone market, not in the United States, but in China, which research firms said will take the spot as the biggest smartphone market in the world this year.

Windows 8 is set to hit the market by the last quarter of 2012, likely just in time for the holiday shopping spree that sellers target to boost their financial results before ending the year.

The Australian economy saw its slowest growth pace in the last quarter of 2011, according to the latest Westpac-Melbourne Institute leading index of economic activity, which paved the way for a measly growth rate at the start of the current year.

David Jones hasn't been competitive with the emerging online retailing sector for years, and in the past six to eight months, its efforts in the analogue retailing space haven't been too flash either.

And as we have seen, David Jones wasn't alone in delivering bad news to investors yesterday.

Australia's mineral and energy exports will rise at a slower pace of 4.6% to $208.32 billion Australian in 2012-13, as demand for commodities slows in Asia and in China in particular.

Australian banks were aiming to preserve their profit margins when the decision was made to move up interest rates, breaking away from the cash rate set by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) in recent months.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 45 points or 0.4% while the S&P lost 0.2% to 1402 but the Nasdaq managed a slight gain.

By Marco Annunziata, chief economist, General Electric Co.Oil prices are again on the rise ? will this derail the economic recovery? And what if there is an oil shock on the horizon? This column presents an overview of the oil market and its possible effects on the global economy.

Emerging from the trading halt it sued for at the start of the week, David Jones laid out on Wednesday a new plan that hopefully would enable the country's second biggest department store to recover from the slumps it suffered lately.

The European Commission, the European Union's executive body, has launched a public consultation and investigation into shadow banking practices in the region, as they aim to implement new controls and supervisory measures for the system in the future.

As the 2012 NRL and AFL seasons get ready to kick-off, business information analysts at IBISWorld reveal how much Australians are spending on sports betting - the fastest growing gambling segment.

LUNCHTIME REPORT (12.40pm AEDT)The Australian share market is trading in the red at lunchtime in the East, following weakness in offshore markets. The US Dow Jones Index eased from four year highs overnight on news China has raised fuel prices for the second time in less than six weeks, raising concerns about overall economic growth. The Australian share market eased half a percent in early trade but has clawed back a little, and at 12.40pm AEDT is down 10.7pts or 0.2pct to 4354.9.

Global miners have agreed that economic slowdown set to be seen in China this year could temper demands for iron ore but insisted that their expansion goals will not be re-calibrated.