Sharon Olalia

Australian oil and gas firm Woodside Petroleum Ltd (WPL.AX) has launched a hunt for a new boss after its chief executive Don Voelte announced he will step down in the second half of 2011.

Bike riders coming form the Inner West or the North Shore to the CBD can now enjoy a safer journey with the opening of City of Sydney's first completed cycleway route.

Total personal finance commitments slid 0.3 per cent, seasonally adjusted, from $7.410 billion in July to $7.392 billion in August, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said on Wednesday.

JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX:JBH), an Australian electronics and home entertainment retailer, said first-quarter sales rose 12.2 percent from a year earlier but were about 5 percent behind its target.

U.S. stocks solidified their Federal Reserve inspired gains Tuesday as Wall Street embraced the latest indication that further monetary easing is ahead.

The minutes of the September FOMC meeting highlighted that Federal Reserve policymakers have the left the door open to a further round of stimulus in the near term. Interestingly the Fed viewed recent incoming data on the economy as better-than-expected.

The Australian Dollar has opened at USD 0.9855 this morning after announcements overnight by the US Federal Reserve that it was ready to provide more stimulus to the US economy "before long".

The Australian Dollar opens higher against the greenback today at 0.9860, recovering from a low of 0.9785 during yesterday's domestic session after a fall in business confidence.

Australian house prices are set to rise as much as 20 per cent over the next three years, thanks to strong economic growth and an ongoing shortage of supply, according to a housing report commissioned by QBE.

Peter Diamond, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, may have won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, but whether this will be enough to get him a job on the Federal Reserve remains a question.

The Australian share market is being sold off today, following a flat lead from Wall Street and general weakness in commodity prices.

With holidays in the US, Canada and Japan, overnight markets have had a very quiet trading session, with no major data was released.

China has lifted reserve requirements for six large commercial banks in order to slow the pace of the economy.

The Aussie''s parity push paused during local trade yesterday after the release of domestic home lending data.

The Australian share market closed at a five month high after firmer commodity prices drove gains in the resources sector.

The Australian share market made slight gains today after reaching a five month high in early trade.

Virgin Galactic's suborbital spaceship has made its first solo glide flight from Mojave Air and Space Port in California, as it continues to undergo very strict testing before it can carry tourists to space.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 11,000 Friday for the first time since May as a bleak jobs report boosted expectations that the Federal Reserve will move to stimulate economic growth.

US private sector payrolls (employment) rose by 64,000 in September, just short of expectations for a 74,000 gain in jobs.

The Australian Dollar has steadied after last Thursday night's rally over USD0.9900.

Despite a brief run lower during Friday''s offshore session towards US97 cents, the Australian Dollar has rallied for an eighth consecutive week and opens today at 0.9880.

The Australian stock market has closed flat after an up and down Thursday where a rally in response to unexpectedly strong jobs data petered out in afternoon trade.

The local share market managed a slight gain today, as strong employment data pushed the Aussie dollar to a 27 month high. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) gained 8.2pts or 0.2pct to 4746.2 while the S&P/ASX 200 Index (XJO) added 4.5pts or 0.1pct to 4691.3.

Private health insurer NIB Holdings Ltd is hoping members of takeover target GMHBA will pressure its board to give a more serious consideration to NIB's $140 million offer.

Leighton Holdings (ASX: LEI) today announced its subsidiary John Holland, which is one of Australia's leading and most diversified contracting, engineering and services providers, has been awarded a $348 million contract for the provision of mining services to the 'Plains' pit of the Jellinbah Coal Mine.

The Australian stockmarket was slightly higher at Thursday noon, after a strong employment figures from the Australia Bureau of Statistics overshot expectations, boosting banks and retailers.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics announced today an extra 49,500 people were hired in September, more than double the 20,000 jobs predicted by analysts.

The AUD continued its relentless push higher overnight, with the next major level of resistance of USD0.9850 now firmly in its sights.

Stocks seesawed between small gains and losses Wednesday as investors awaited further signals on the labor market that could force the Federal Reserve to act more decisively to prop up the economy.