Sharon Olalia

Inception star Leonardo DiCaprio, who has been nominated for three Oscars in the last 16 years, is keen on directing a movie.

Eat, Pray, Love star Julia Roberts revealed she once aspired to spend her life helping animals, but fell into acting because it was in the bloodline.

Controversial Hollywood actor Mel Gibson could be banned from seeing his baby girl, according to reports.

American singer-songwriter Fergie says she and her Black Eyed Peas bandmates all get on really well.

Sundance Resources Ltd's (ASX:SDL) Mbalam project has received environmental approval for from the Cameroon government in West Africa, according to the iron ore explorer.

West Australian gold miner Focus Minerals (ASX:FML) has reported outstanding results from initial surface reconnaissance sampling at its Treasure Island tenement in Western Australia's eastern goldfields region.

The upswing in commodity prices will generate property investment opportunities in Australia's key resource regions over the next year, according to analysts.

Australian finance, insurance, and banking corporation Suncorp-Metway (ASX:SUN) is in line for a windfall of up to $125 million from the sale of its holdings in two car insurance joint ventures, as it attempts to simplify its insurance business and increase returns.

Two competing private equity groups are set to place their final bids on Friday for Australia's second-largest hospital owner Healthscope Ltd (ASX:HSP) in a $US1.6 billion ($A1.8 billion) deal, according to sources.

Conservationists and anglers have started scrutinising Japanese giant Inpex's draft environmental impact statement for its planned $12 billion Darwin Harbour gas plant.

Miner OZ Minerals (ASX:OZL) has substantially increased its guidance for gold production to 2012 after better than expected output in the June quarter.

Australian toll-road operator Intoll Group (ASX:ITO) has posted strong June quarter revenue and traffic growth on its two toll roads.

Air New Zealand Ltd (ASX:AIZ, NZX:AIR) the nation's largest carrier, has dismissed speculations it is looking to acquire a stake in Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd (ASX:VBA).

Sales figures for Australian supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths (ASX: WOW) will be studied over the next two weeks to measure the effect of the marketing war waged between the two in the last six months.

China's iron ore miner Sinosteel Midwest Corporation has finished a feasibility study on its $2 billion flagship direct shipping ore project at Weld Range in Western Australia.

Reaching 11 million tonnes in the three months to the end of June, exports of iron ore by Fortescue Metals Group (ASX:FMG) climbed 36 per cent from the equivalent period last year.

The median expected inflation rate in July edged down to 3.3 per cent, from 3.4 per cent in June, less than two weeks before Australia's crucial second-quarter consumer price index report is scheduled for release, according to the Melbourne Institute Survey of Consumer Inflationary Expectations.

Troubled star Lindsay Lohan wants to set up home in the UK’s Lake District.

Whip It star Drew Barrymore has found a new hobby in boxing.

Angelina Jolie was injured several times while shooting Salt.

Selena Gomez is set to quit hit Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place.

Zac Efron has signed up to produce and star in a new untitled workplace comedy from the writer of his former motion picture 17 Again.

Edward Norton says he is sad he would not be reprising his role from 2008 action film The Hulk in the new Avengers movie.

International fast-fashion brand Zara is heading for Australia next year, according to parent Inditex, one of the world's largest retail clothing group based in Spain.

Jetstar Airways, which yesterday announced its first direct flights between Australia and the New Zealand resort town of Queenstown, has called for an end to requiring passports for travels between the two countries.

The updated revenue estimates, which show resource super-profits tax would have raised a massive $24 billion in its first two years, proved the industry was justified in campaigning so aggressively against the impost, according to Business Council of Australia president Graham Bradley.

Treasurer Wayne Swan took responsibility for his department's miscalculation of commodity prices when the RSPT was planned.

The mining sector gained $7.5bn in the Gillard government's remodelled tax, according to new figures that unveiled Treasury significantly undervalued earnings from the resource super-profits tax (RSPT).

Australia's biggest companies are happy to make their lending bank their main bank, according to new data compiled by finance researcher East & Partners.