BUSINESS

The Australian mining company BHP Billiton could find itself in the middle of the conflict between the Sahrawi people and the Moroccan government due to its bid for the Canadian fertilizer firm Potash Corporation.

The health care industry hopes for a new government that would listen.

The United Kingdom's SAB Miller plans to buyout Australia's largest brewer, the Foster's Group (formerly Carlton and United Breweries) for $A 12.22 billion. The deal would partly put the London-listed brewer in a strategic position to grab the market from Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch inBev.

Potash Corporation chief executive Bill Doyle could be richer by $US445.4 million if BHP Billiton's hostile bid succeeds.

The Australian organic industry is tipped this year to become an AUS$1 Billion industry, according to independent research report commissioned by the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA).

Households in dwellings two years old or less were more likely to have the energy and water efficiency elements they needed to reach government building standards, but beyond these measures they were quite similar to households in older dwellings, according to a report released Friday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The Australian bourse continued losing at Friday noon, after a weak start led by losses on Wall Street overnight and disappointing profit results.

Surfwear retailer Billabong International Ltd (ASX: BBG) announced on Friday that its net profit for full year 2010 dipped by nearly five percent but the company quickly set that aside and projected that its profit would surge by as much as eight percent for the rest of the year.

The 40 year old wine producer expressed fears mine tunnels would affect the quality of the soil in which their vineyards thrive. The Margaret River Wine Industry Association (MRWIA) boldly approached the State government about the possible effects.

Solid exports are set to lift the national income by 10 per cent in 2010 while unemployment continues to decline, and inflation will likely become a problem over the next two years, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Automotive retail and logistic specialist Automotive Holdings Group Ltd (ASX: AHE) said on Friday that it saw soaring full year net profit for 2010 which it attributed to the country’s rising trade conditions.

ANZ Banking Group Ltd (ASX:ANZ), one of the big four alongside Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and National Australia Bank, announced on Friday a 37 percent rise in third quarter net profit as bad debts declined.

The Australian share market is lower in morning trade, after a negative night on global markets and falls in commodity prices. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is down 0.86pts or 38points to 4,470 at lunchtime.

The world's largest fertilizer company seeks alliances with national financial institutions in order to shake off BHP Billiton from its hostile bid. Potash Corporation is even considering Chinese Banks.

Airport link specialist BrisConnections Management Company Ltd (ASX: BCSCA) said on Friday that construction of the $5.6 billion Brisbane road project is more than fifty percent complete though it added that the company posted a much lower profit for the current full year.

The largest provider of electricity and gas in Australia continues to grow at an astounding rate. The company now services 150 thousand customers.

Contract mining firm Macmahon Holdings Ltd (ASX: MAH) revealed on Friday that it has won an $86 million work project to build a train line for Gindalbie Metals Ltd’s Karara iron ore mining site in the mid-west part of Western Australia.

New Zealand’s giant dairy firm Fonterra announced on Friday that company payout for the 2010/11 season would be from $NZ6.90 to $NZ7.10 per kilogram of milk solids, adding that international prices for its products should remain steady on the forecasted period.

A national organization of key players in the aviation and aerospace industry will give the sector a strong voice in public policy and planning.

Australian diversified natural resources company BHP Billiton (ASX:BHP) has signalled it could drive a shake-up of the global pricing of potash if its $43 billion bid for Potash Corp of Saskatchewan Inc. succeeds.

The Australian Dollar has opened lower this morning, falling back through USD0.8950 overnight following some disappointing US data releases.

Telstra breaks away from the traditional billable hours when paying for legal services. Being one of the nation's biggest corporate consumers of legal services makes the move a force in corporate Australia.

The Australian stock market is set to go down today after receiving strongly negative leads from offshore trading overnight, with heavy falls on Wall Street, oil falling below $US75, and metals generally lower. Only gold futures rose.

US Philadelphia Fed business activity index fell from +5.1 to minus 7.7 in August - marking the weakest reading in 13 months. The sub-indices also highlighted significant weakness. Employment, new orders and shipments all posted negative readings.

Intel and General Electric both weighed heavily on the Dow Jones Industrial Average Thursday as U.S. stocks skidded broadly.

The Australian Dollar endured a lack lustre session during Asian time yesterday with the little battler limited to a 35 pip range.

Wesfarmers' (ASX:WES) disparate collection of businesses, including supermarkets, insurance, chemicals, hardware, office supplies and coal, has posted a smaller than expected rise in full-year profit.

Forestry contractors are surprised by news of Tasmanian timber company Gunns pulling out from logging operations. Reports in the financial media have led to speculations of a halt in logging Tasmania's native forests as early as December this year.

For Coles, the customer is always right. The supermarket chain now actively supports their customers' choice for fresh pork from farms which do not use sow stalls by 2014.