Sharon Olalia

Australia's unemployment rate touched 5.1 per cent in June, the lowest since January 2009, as hopes for continuous economic improvement reinforced employer confidence.

Shares opened more than two per cent stronger today after a billow on Wall Street and major global markets overnight.

Fixed rate mortgages, based on the future expectation of bank funding costs, are regarded as an indirect scale of future official RBA rate actions.

Chinalco is keen on purchasing a direct minority stake in one of the world's largest undeveloped gold-and-copper mine deposits.

Ian Blackburne should consider stepping down from chairmanship given CSR's recent losses, according to the Australian Shareholders' Association (ASA).

The major banks are likely to keep lifting interest rates for small and mid-sized business clients in a bid to recover funding costs. The hikes will be another hurdle for the sector, which continues to be weak.

The federal government will give a formal response to the landmark Cooper superannuation review within weeks.

The Gillard government's decision to pacify mining companies by revamping the resource tax could cost the budget $35 billion in revenue this decade, a report says.

Hugh Laurie jokingly remarked he had to go through 'happiness training' to portray a happy character in the next season of House.

A-list actors are battling to become part of new big-budget movie The Sweeney. Ray Winstone has already been chosen to play Det Insp Jack Regan, the role made famous by the late John Thaw.

Avril Lavigne and Brody Jenner have decided to get matching tattoos for the second time.

Rocker Prince goes out door-to-door to spread the his religious beliefs, and try and get others to convert, a recent interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper revealed.

Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria and her new husband, commoner Daniel Westling have entered a prenuptial agreement that will leave him without a claim to her inheritance or income should they divorce.

Bret Michaels, who has two daughters with partner Kristi Gibson, concedes he struggles in balancing his career with family life. The Poison rocker elucidated to Parade magazine why he is publicizing his personal life in his upcoming VH1 reality series Life as I Know It.

The decline in construction demand could be a reflection of the delayed impact of the withdrawal of the extra first home owners grant and the cumulative impact of the run of interest rate increases from last October, according to AI Group director public policy Peter Burn.

Shares in Sigma Pharmaceuticals have surged more than 15 per cent after receiving a formal takeover proposal from South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare Holdings group of companies. At 55 cents per Sigma share, the offer values the drugs maker and distributor at $648 million.

The Sydney office leasing market is showing signs of recovery as white-collar employment strengthens and new construction continues to shrink.

Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd is considering an updated acquisition offer of 55 cents cash per share, from South African bidder Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd.

AgBank, the last of China's big four state-owned banks to go public, is selling 25.41 billion shares in Hong Kong and 22.24 billion shares in Shanghai.

After a year of NBN talks with the Government, Telstra chief executive David Thodey says he now has its sights set on diversifying the business and satisfying unhappy customers.

Xstrata Coal's $186 million of investment in early works and exploration in Queensland, including the $6 billion Wandoan coal project, has resumed after the announcement of a revised resource rent tax, according to the company.

Harvey Norman Holdings is set to deliver a cheque for more than $55 million today to seal the deal involving its takeover of more than 30 branches in the Clive Peeters retail chain.

As economists predicted, the Reserve Bank of Australia has kept cash rates on hold, giving debtors another month of regular payment costs amid rising inflation pressure.

The life of public floats for the rest of the year has been cast into uncertainty after volatile equity markets claimed the $1.3 billion offer of Bilfinger Berger's Valemus, Australia's second-biggest civil construction company.

Australian pop princess Kylie Minogue has launched her 11th studio album, Aphrodite, at Amante Beach Club in Ibiza, Spain.

Dad-of-eight and devout Catholic Mel Gibson is striving to save his career after his racist outburst against the mother of his child, Oksana Grigorieva.

The 36-year-old Office star Jenna Fischer married writer Lee Kirk Saturday, July 3, according to E! News.

BBC 6 Music has been rescued from demise, with the BBC Trust stating that "a convincing case" has not been made for the station to be closed down.

The Last Airbender had a good beginning with a solid $70.5 million from its Thursday opening through Monday.