BUSINESS

French telco giant Orange is considering a buy-out of Spanish telcos Jazztel and Yoigo if ever these two firms would be placed on the block, said Orange CEO Federico Colom.

Equities retreated further with Apple's much anticipated iPhone 6 failing to inspire investors. Apple unveiled a range of new products but the excitement swiftly waned as the stock was sold off after having enjoyed some good gains. This wouldn't have come as a big surprise as the stock tends to fall following new product launches. Some would probably feel the pullback we are seeing this week has been coming for a while with US equities looking a bit overcooked and as the US dollar rallies ...

In US economic data, weekly chain store sales were up 4.9% on a year ago according the Redbook survey, an unchanged annual growth result on the previous week.

When investing in real estate, it is easy to dismiss some portfolio as high-risk based on the category of property or investment vehicle they belong to, and the market forces that are expected to impact them in the near future. More often than not, what matters is that investors look at each real estate asset from a "local" perspective, a Canadian portfolio manager noted in a Financial Post report.

Local shares improved this afternoon to make up for all yesterday's 0.36% falls. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) closed up 0.4 per cent with the mining sector a standout after a tough three weeks. Traded volume was light for the second day with a number of holidays in the region and a busy tail-end of the week.Australian shares are only 1.2 per cent below the six-year highs hit in mid-August despite a tough week. Stocks in Japan, China and Taiwan managed to rise modestly today while shares in ...

Russia continued to adopt a strong stand against a definitive new round of economic sanctions to be imposed by the European Union. It has even warned that should the body push through with the new list, it will bar western airlines from its airspace effective immediately.

A popular Nigerian pastor and prophet has warned Catholics to pray for Pope Francis as he might get kidnapped soon.

There is tittle to report from overnight trade; the S&P fell from record all-time highs, which is not surprising considering the market is trading at 18.3 times last reported earnings.

The economy of Australia may be in the danger zone, according to a former chief economist of the federal government. China's property crisis has a direct link to Australia's economic performance.

The Australian sharemarket kicked off the trading week in the red, with a record close in US equities on Friday night not enough to boostlocal markets. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) fell by 0.4 per cent and remains below 5600pts. Volume was light with only $3.6bn worth of shares traded. Public holidays in China, South Korea and Taiwan kept markets in the region quiet, with shares in Japan up 0.25 per cent, while New Zealand's NZX50 rose by 0.15 per cent.

Luxury listings curator and real estate company The Corcoran Group, has hired distinguished photographer Annie Leibovitz to photograph its portfolio for a massive ad campaign. The campaign, Live Who You Are, puts emphasis on the joys of homeownership rather than merely investing, at a time when property consumers rely more on big data in their home search endeavors, and agents tout the use of the latest listings technology to make a sale, a new report on The Financial Times said.

The launch of Samsung's new products like the Galaxy Note 4 did not deter analysts from increasing their price target for Apple stock. Apple shares are expected to rise after the company's "Fab Fall" Sept. 9 event.

A few surprises in data and the political world over the weekend have seen futures and currencies falling out of bed this morning.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Holdings starts on Monday, Sept 8, its roadshow for the company's initial public offering (IPO) expected to raise as much as $24 billion, documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday showed. The roadshow kicks off in New York.

Duff beers are said to encourage children and adolescent to grab a bottle.

Until the Federal Aviation Authority releases its final rules on the use of drones, Michigan real estate photographers that use them to collect photos of listings can only marvel at the beauty of their shots and would have to hold out in publishing them online, according to a report on Michigan Live Web site.

Traders are calling the euro the gift that keeps on giving after yet another slide on the back of yesterday's meeting.

In US economic data, the Markit Services Sector PMI eased from 60.8 to 59.5 in July. The US ADP Employment survey showed an increase of 204,000 private sector jobs in August. The US trade deficit narrowed from $40.8 billion to $40.5 billion in July - a six month low. The result was driven by a 0.9% lift in exports to a record high of $198 billion in July.

Because of the financial losses suffered by Australian flag carrier Qantas, the officials of the company, led by Chief Executive Alan Joyce, suffered hefty pay cuts during the last financial year.

Despite closing 0.4 per cent softer this afternoon, the local sharemarket ate away at the more substantial 0.6 per cent low hit at 3.30pm (AEST). The banks accounted for around a third of the losses while weaker iron ore prices kept the miners under pressure.

Apple has yet to officially unwrap its newest iPhone 6, but this early, preorders in China for the much coveted gadget has already reached to over 30,000 units.

Where do the rich live in Australia?

Markets are softer at lunch, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) down 0.3 per cent. Despite the weakness local shares are still only 0.6 per cent below six-year highs. US markets finished mixed overnight, but the moves across all major American markets were modest.

The photos of a so-called 20th hijacker in the Sept 11, 2001 terror attacks against the United States will remain classified, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday.

Good news for those who can't part with their gadgets, Australia's Qantas and Virgin Airlines have modified their policies on electronic devices.

The European Union is mulling to slap Russia a sporting ban on top of the prevailing economic sanctions it had given Ukraine's aggressor.

There is lots to be made of the cease-fire deal coming out of Ukraine overnight.

Australia's mid-tier miners suffered another blow as the price of iron ore in the international market dipped 1.2 per cent on Thursday and went down to a five-year low of $85.70 per tonne.

In US economic data, auto sales were estimated at a 17.4 million annual rate in August, well above forecasts for 16.6m annualised sales. Factory orders rose by 10.5% in July, just below forecasts for an 11% gain. Chain store sales in the latest week were up 4.9% on a year ago, above the 4.0% gain recorded last week. The ISM New York index rose from 644.4 to 648.0 in August.