BUSINESS

Lynx has featured a gay kiss on an Australian TV ad, and has earned praises for it.

Australian shares have kicked off the trading week in the red following the best gains of the year on Friday. The ASX 200 Index is down 0.4 per cent with all sectors losing ground. This follows global sharemarket weakness and a drop in commodity prices.

Thousands joined a global unity rally in honour of those killed by extremists during the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris.

Concerns about the possibility of a recession in the Russian economy continue and the country faces new challenges in 2015.

The Australian Dollar has opened around the .8200 level as US non-farm payroll numbers were better than expected but wage growth disappointed.

The US earnings season begins tonight and Australia's earning season begins in two weeks; expectations for the both are low at best.

Myanmar Deputy Finance Minister Maung Thein announced over the weekend the formation of the country's first stock market by October, the Yangon Stock Exchange.

In US economic data, non-farm payrolls (employment) rose by 252,000 in December, ahead of forecasts for a gain of 240,000. The unemployment rate fell from 5.8% to 5.6%. And average earnings fell by 0.2%, short of forecasts for a 0.2% gain. And wholesale sales fell 0.3% in November with inventories up 0.8%.

On Tuesday, American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr lost the chance to earn a guaranteed purse of $120 million after a group of investors from the United Arab Emirates withdrew their offer made in November. The investors, which includes royals, were disappointed in Money May's lack of commitment to fight Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao.

The Bank of New Zealand has predicted the economy to head into a 6-month deflation following global overcapacity and weak oil prices.

Separation from iPhone causes users to perform poorly on tests and feel disoriented.

The local share market has wrapped up the last trading day of the week on a positive note, finishing close to the day's highs. The All Ords (XAO) jumped 80 points or 1.5 percent to 5,440, while the ASX 200 (XJO) climbed 84 points or 1.5 percent to 5,465.

Nico Roseburg teased his Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton on social media as the latter turned 30 on Jan. 7th.

The Australian sharemarket is off to its best start of the week with the ASX 200 Index up by 1 per cent. This is ahead of the single most important piece of data; the US non-farm payrolls (a monthly jobs report) out tonight at 12.30am AEDT.

Formula One executives recently held a meeting in Geneva to discuss about the possible return of 1000hp cars in the sport.

Falling oil prices have once again put the focus of global investors on Europe that is facing slow GDP growth.

The US market had its second day in the green yesterday, which saw it recoup over all its losses year-to-date.

In US economic data, new claims for unemployment insurance (jobless claims) fell by 4,000 in the latest week to 294,000. And the number of announced job layoffs (Challenger survey) fell from 35,940 to 32,640 in December.

Gogoro is a new energy infrastructure that could transform city transport in the near future.

Quebec's energy regulator had given its nod to the planned Energy East pipeline project of TransCanada Corp.

The U.S. FDA has approved a new treatment for ovarian cancer from AstraZeneca

Genetics startup 23andMe has tied up with Genentech, a unit of Roche, to find a treatment for Parkinson's, which affects about 1 million people in the United States.

From sex slave to porn star - that is the career path that adult film company Vivid Entertainment is proposing to Virginia Roberts, the 30-year-old American woman who claims to have engaged in a sex orgy with Prince Andrew.

Australian shares finished firmer for the second time this week following 1.2 per cent gains in US markets and a firmer oil price. The ASX 200 Index rose by 0.5 per cent but is still down so far this week.

Australian shares are improving after two days of weakness. The ASX 200 Index is up 0.3 per cent following the first rise in US stocks in six sessions and a firmer oil price.

BlackBerry Limited has announced it now has its own Internet of Things (IoT) platform.

Amid renewed concerns about recession in some countries, there is some positive news coming from the U.S.

Considering the focus of the markets this week, the Fed minutes have provided a welcome distraction to the preoccupation with crude.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates drank on Wednesday water from a machine that converts the faeces into electricity, water and ash. He compared the water to as delicious as that from a bottled one.