COMPANIES

Xstrata, one of the biggest mining operators in Australia, is reportedly negotiating with giant commodities trading firm Glencore for a likely blockbuster merger that analysts said could easily reach $US79 billion.

After popular file-sharing website Megaupload was shut down last week by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the next site in danger could be the aptly named The Pirate Bay.

Facebook Inc. filed documents for an initial public offering that could help the social network gain one of the biggest U.S. stock-market debuts of all time.

After encountering turbulence in 2011 due to a prolonged labor dispute with three labor unions, flag carrier Qantas Airways is set to soar in 2012.

The fruit and vegetable price war between Australian supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths may be a boon to consumers, but a bane to farmers.

Media attention to Australia's richest woman, Gina Rinehart, has shifted back to her family feud from her recent foray into Fairfax Media.

The Australian stock market is off to a slow start on Friday with commodity-related stocks led by Lynas Corp (ASX: LYC), Aquarius Platinum Ltd (ASX: AQP), Atlas Iron Ltd (ASX:AGO) hitting some gains as of 10:00 AM (AEST).

The battle between retail giants Coles and Woolworths went up a higher level beyond grocery aisles into company books. On Thursday, Coles reported a 6.7 per cent hike in its December quarter sales which hit $9.4 billion.

The bank fee class action lawsuit filed by Australians has expanded with the complainants now questioning $216 million exception fees collected by the lenders.

The new generation of Nokia smartphones have been envisioned to tread more on the path of aesthetics.

The Federal Government is urged by the Actuaries Institute in its pre-budget submission to address two national priorities in the coming Budget: removing barriers to allow ageing Australia to better prepare for retirement with realistic annuity options; and creating a temporary national insurance pool for high flood-risk properties.

Apple's iPhone could extend its holiday cheer as recent figures show that it was the highest selling smartphone in the market for the last holiday season.

Consumer electronics company Foxconn wished to double the size of its manpower in its branch in Zhengzhou, China. Is the hiring spree due to the launching of the iPhone 5?

Electronics retailer Dick Smith could wind up significantly cutting underperforming sites among 66 New Zealand stores in Australia and New Zealand, according to an analyst.

For some, it’s like winning the lottery. Workers at Melbourne-based Grenda bus company were surprised to receive bonuses reaching up to $30,000 after the company owners sold off its transit operations and allocated $15 million to its loyal staff.

FROM MORRISON SECURITIES PTY. LTDU.S. stocks rose broadly, moving to within striking distance of a multi-year high, as investors were bolstered by solid manufacturing reports around the world.

"It's all speculation." Air New Zealand boss Rob Fyfe told of the rumors about his career movement. As he is expected to step down late this year, Fyfe has been reported to have been recruited for a job at Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

The temporary ban on cattle export to Indonesia failed to dampen the growth of the Australian Agricultural Company (AAco) which even registered a 40 per cent improvement performance that led into a $10.5 million net profit.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9 will not hit the German market after all following an appeal court decision on Tuesday, finding the South Korean tech giant in clear violation of unfair competition laws.

Australian flag carrier Qantas was dealt another blow on Tuesday when rating agency Moody's Investors Service downgraded the air carrier's credit rating to Baa3 from Baa2. Moody's explained the cut in long-term senior unsecured rating of Qantas to expectations of ongoing pressure on the company's credit profile.

The ongoing price war between Australian supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths has led some MPs to seek a major amendment to the country's competition law. The legislators warned that the short-term benefits shoppers get from a 50 per cent price reduction on fruits and vegetables sold by Coles could mean disaster for the agriculture sector.

Australia's interest in Gina Rinehart, the nation's richest woman, continues to be fueled following her soon-to-be-completed acquisition of shares in Fairfax Media. Ms Rinehart, whose personal wealth is valued at $10.3 billion, wants a biiger piece in Australia's most influential media company.

The Kingdom of Thailand has agreed to Twitter's recent move to allow countries to censor tweets. Representatives from the Thai government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra have said that they will be working with Twitter to implement this new policy.

While the rest of the tech world is buzzing about the rumored Galaxy S III model that is reportedly being revealed at next month's Mobile World Congress, Samsung went ahead and revealed a new model of the Galaxy S called the Galaxy S Advance.

Starbucks Corp., the world's biggest coffee-shop chain, which proved the world that there's nothing as paying too much for a cup of coffee, is planning to experiment with wine and beer, the two elixirs that Americans love.

Australia's stock market had not moved in pace with the rest of the Asia-Pacific markets on Tuesday and is seen to remain flat on Wednesday's trading, but some action will push media-related stocks led by Fairfax Ltd.

The Dow was in line for a fourth straight decline after a weaker than expected reading on consumer confidence erased early gains prompted by agreements designed to address Europe's sovereign-debt issues.

Megaupload users may never be able to re-access their files following the U.S. government's announcement late Monday that digital storage firms contracted by the shuttered company will begin deleting files Thursday this week.

Australian consumers are expected to benefit again from the renewed price war between supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths with price cuts of up to 50 per cent on certain fruits and vegetables.