BUSINESS

Volvo is looking to partner with another car maker and share platforms in a bid to offer greater international competition in smaller vehicle segments.

London Session: IMF is downbeat while the SNB stands firmBy Kathleen Brooks, Research Director UK EMEA, FOREX.

It shouldn't surprise that a mining company has reported that wet weather affected its business in the December half year.

As expected the International Monetary Fund has cut its forecast for world economic growth this year and next.

The interim results from consumer and industrial products supplier GUD Holdings just about says it all insofar as current soft business and economic conditions are traveling.

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 33 points or 0.3% while the S&P lost 0.1% to 1314 and the Nasdaq gained 0.1%.

By Greg PeelThe ABC's Alan Kohler noted last week that 20 of 21 economists surveyed were expecting the RBA to cut rates again next month following cuts in November and December.

Google's new search feature called Google Search Plus has garnered a lot of attention since it launched last week with critics like Twitter slamming the search giant for favoritism towards Google's social network. The new search feature is now being investigated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, according to a source inside the U.S. regulatory body.

Taking pictures would never be the same again as Eastman Kodak Company; the firm that invented the hand-held camera recently filed for bankruptcy protection and also announced that the company has plans to cut-down significantly.

Despite the problems with Indonesian beef importation, the meat industry of Australia is expected to enjoy a good year. For 2012, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) forecasts that beef and veal production would reach 2.197 million tonnes (carcass weight).

Auckland International Airport has marked record international travel for the week ended January 8, with over 170,000 international arrivals or departures, beating the travel records during the final stages of the Rugby World Cup 2011.

Toyota Australia has been compelled to let go of its 350 workers at its Altuna manufacturing plant in Melbourne over rising dollar, according to the company president.

Research in Motion, maker of the struggling BlackBerry smartphones, announced on Sunday the resignation of the company's two CEOs following series of disappointments that saw the once leading firm lagging behind from competitors.

Fair Work Australia (FWA) endorsed on Tuesday the proposed workplace determination between Qantas and the Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA). The two parties presented the proposal to FWA in late December,

By Rudi Filapek-Vandyck, Editor FNArenaI spent most of my year-end break in New York with local citizens reminding me, every day, about the unusually mild weather.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of West Australia has granted mining giant BHP Billiton (ASX: BHP) conditional approval of its $40-billion Port Hedland expansion project.

Toyota Australia has axed 350 employees at its Altona plant in Melbourne, blaming the decision on current market conditions that include a high Australian dollar.

Coal processing equipment manufacturer and engineer, Ludowici has agreed to be bought by a Danish firm in a bid worth a total of $267 million, an announcement that saw the shares jump 91% yesterday.

The growth in producer prices slowed in the December quarter, a development some economists reckon gives the Reserve bank room to cut interest rates a fortnight today.

So where will markets head now after the post Christmas rebound continued last week, defying the gloomy forecasts from the World Bank and other gloomy prognosticators?

Reshaping Tomorrow: What will India look like in 2025?By Ejaz GhaniWhat will India and other South Asian countries look like in 2025? The optimistic view is that India will achieve double digit growth rates but the pessimistic view is that growth will be derailed by several transformational challeng...

It will cost as much as some of the huge LNG projects currently planned or underway: at $20 billion and eight years, BHP Billiton's plans to expand its key iron ore port at Port Hedland, off the northern WA coast, will be gigantic by any measurement.

The Houston-based Apache Corporation, the oil and natural gas producer, has agreed to acquire closely held Cordillera Energy Partners III LLC for $2.85 billion in cash and stock, adding oil reserves in Oklahoma and Texas that can be exploited using hydraulic fracturing.

The Australian Dollar enjoyed some considerable upside movement yesterday, soaring above $US1.05 to a 12 week high against its US Counterpart.

Ahead: In Australia, Newcrest and Oil Search release production figures and GUD Holdings releases its half yearly result. In the US, the Federal Reserve meets and the Richmond Fed index is scheduled.

By Richard (Rick) Mills, Ahead of the HerdAs a general rule, the most successful man in life is the man who has the best informationOur agriculture system is concentrated on producing a very few staple crops - there is a very serious lack of crop diversity.

By Greg PeelRBC Dominion Securities notes that global uranium mining stocks rallied 13% on average last week, spurring investors into believing that a uranium bull market will shortly be upon us once more.

From Morrison Securities Pty. Ltd.: U.S. stocks edged lower, jeopardizing the Dow's four-session climb, as investors mulled the sustainability of this year's rally and watched Europe for developments connected to the region's ongoing debt issues.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 18.21 points, or 0.1%, to 12702 in afternoon trading.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 11 points or 0.1% while the S&P was flat at 1316 and the Nasdaq lost 0.