COMPANIES

Major structural and operational overhauls planned at Sydney Airport stand to deliver much needed cash to Qantas Airways, analysts said, as the airline is set to negotiate for the possible termination of its lease contracts at the terminal premises.

Australians are spending less on gambling compared to previous years. A report by Roy Morgan released on Tuesday said that Aussies spent $18.5 billion on all forms of gambling in the past 12 months to September 2011. It is down from the $20.2 billion they spend for 2002.

While Black Friday may be a great American tradition, Cyber Monday is proving to be one of the best ideas that Wal-Mart has ever had.

Many Australians have a sweet tooth and indulge in consuming lollies, toffees, éclairs and caramels. A study by Roy Morgan Research released on Tuesday found that 39 per cent or 7.2 million Aussies aged 14 and above ate sweets in the last four weeks.

Overnight US market closed higher after a mid-session glitch that saw the index slide over 50points on the news that the Financial Times, out of London, had reported the rating agency Standard's & Poor's was likely to cut 6 key European nations AAA credit ratings. After the initial shock the market turned higher. Dow Jones Index and NASDAQ both ended stronger.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) had conceded defeat in the $215-million Metcash purchase of Franklins Supermarkets. After a prolonged legal battle, a Federal Court judge ruled last week in favour of Metcash despite opposition by the competition regulator.

Police in Indonesia are not allowing the head of Research in Motion (RIM) in the country to leave Jakarta for being one of the suspects who triggered a stampede during a bargain sale of BlackBerry smartphones inside a mall.

Information not for public consumption may have been inadvertently leaked when an American court decided Friday last week that Samsung Electronics may start selling its Galaxy product lines in the United States.

Peruvian President Ollanta Humala has placed four northern highland provinces under a state of emergency to stop violent protests against a U.S. mining firm that injured dozens of people and forced an airport to shut down.

Alliance Resources (ASX: AGS) disclosed on Monday that it has settled its legal dispute with venture partner, Heathgate, paving the way for the fifth uranium mine in Australia.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The AUD is slightly stronger this morning after news filtered out of Europe that plans for a new treaty and fiscal rules in the region has been agreed upon.

U.S. stocks were ahead but off session highs Monday afternoon after a Financial Times report claiming that Standard & Poor's warned six triple A-rated euro-zone members that they may suffer ratings downgrades as a result of the deepening sovereign-debt crisis.

General Motors will buy back Chevrolet Volts from owners who are concerned their plug-in hybrid cars could catch on fire.

MINI and Lexus have been rated the top brands for sales satisfaction among new-car customers in the US.

Honda has announced a global recall of 917,267 vehicles over an airbag defect that has caused at least 20 injuries. The action adds to previous recalls that were issued to address the same problem, resulting in a total of 2.8 million cars being affected.

A crack in the concrete catchment of a desalination facility of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station has leaked 45 tons of highly radioactive water, according to TEPCO, operator of the plant.

Siri's only a month old and the service is already embroiled in a scandal. The dulcet toned digital personal assistant was accused by several blogs that it was blocking answers to questions about abortion or birth control.

The federal government of Zimbabwe, in a bid to improve the country's fiscal liquidity situation, demanded that foreign-owned mining firms should have their primary listings in the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE).

Iran claimed Sunday that it has "captured" a spy drone belonging to the U.S., as the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan admitted that one of its reconnaissance aircraft went missing last week.

The owner of the Rivers Australia chain will appear in court on Wednesday in connection with the charges of indecent assault filed against him by a former employee.

The Queensland government approved a 25-year mining lease for the Mt Carlton gold-silver-copper project of Evolution Mining (ASX: EVN).

The holiday shopping season is projected to generate some $10 billion of total sale for the retail industry and big chunk of that pie would be enjoyed by Australian retailers, reports said.

Australians will have another alternative budget carrier from Asia by mid-2012 as Scoot operates a 402-seat daily flight between Sydney and Singapore. Scoot will offer 40 per cent lower fare than traditional airlines and targets young and adventurous travelers who want to go around the region at lower cost.

Qantas unions have secured the support of the Labor Party to strengthen the Qantas Sales Act. The party backed the motion filed by Transport Workers Union (TWU) Federal Secretary Tony Sheldon to keep majority ownership, operation and governance of Qantas in Australia.

The Map Group announced on Monday plans to merge the international and domestic terminals in Sydney Airport by 2019.

Australian coal miners, Whitehaven Coal (ASX: WHC) and Aston Resources (ASX: AZT), are talking about a corporate merger, Whitehaven disclosed on Monday.

A federal court judge in San Jose, California has ruled against Apple's petition to temporarily ban the sales of Samsung smartphones and tablets in the U.S. allowing the Korean products in market shelves until the start of the patent infringement trial on July 30, 2012.

From Craig James, Commsec Chief EconomistUS non-farm payrolls (employment) rose by 120,000 in November, in line with market expectations. Private payrolls rose by 140,000, the jobless rate fell from 9.0pct to a 2-1/2 year low of 8.6pct and average earnings fell by 0.1pct.

From Morrison Securities: U.S. stocks finished barely changed in Friday's session to cap a strong week after the U.S. unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped and European leaders and central bankers redoubled efforts to tackle the sovereign-debt crisis.