BUSINESS

Gold mining giant Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) announced on Friday that Lihir Gold Ltd’s investors would find their share consideration being scaled back as an overwhelming demand of shares ensued following the blockbuster $10.5 billion deal that saw the merger of the two companies.

Multinational property management Lend Lease Group (ASX: LLC) will have a helping hand in its planned community projects and apartment developments in Australia.

Media giant firm Fairfax Media Ltd (ASX: FXJ) said on Friday that mobile users accessing its four online news sites would need to pay some fees within the next few weeks as the company announced the launching of its first subscription-based smartphone applications.

Social networking pulled down the editor of New South Wales' Glen Innes Examiner.

China, Australia's biggest trade partner and a major buyer of its commodities, reported a surprising jump in August imports, showing a strengthening of domestic demand in an economy that has become a major driver of global growth.

Bonds are making a hit on the financial market.

Power distributor Aurora Energy said on Friday that Tasmania’s electricity costs has been recently justified by a report which showed that state residents were actually enjoying relatively cheaper power bills as compared with other states and territory in Australia.

The Australian stock market was slightly stronger at Friday noon, with gains in banking stocks offsetting losses in the resource sector.

Greenland-focused Greenland Minerals and Energy Ltd (ASX: GGG) revealed on Friday that it has obtained license modifications from its host country’s exploration site that would allow the cultivation of radioactive elements on the company’s Kvanefjeld project.

The Western Australia Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) came in to resolve the issues that brought about a standstill in the Perth public transport system in August.

The legal team representing the woman behind a multimillion-dollar sexual harassment claim against Australian department store David Jones (ASX: DJS) are tipped to file an amended statement of claim this afternoon.

The Australian Central Territory (ACT) Health is using an ACT Supreme Court decision as a warning to the food and beverage industry.

A 20 month-long industrial battle comes to halt with a management and union decision to increase pay by eight percent.

Toyota Australia announced on Friday it will build a new engine plant that will inject approximately $300 million of project expenditure into the domestic economy.

Plans to form a joint venture of the skies was thwarted in order to protect competition on trans-Tasman routes.

Soft drinks giant Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd (ASX: CCL) flatly denied on Thursday that it is set to join the fray in bidding for the wine division of Foster’s Group Ltd following the brewer’s turning down of a takeover proposal earlier this week.

Following a government report of more than sufficient surplus, crude oil prices came tumbling down on Thursday as the US petroleum inventory reached 1.14 billion barrels as of last week according to the US Energy Department.

A higher closing at the U.S. stock market due to encouraging falls in jobless claims was favorable for Australian shares.

US equities continue its rally from yesterday and further pushed gold futures away from the radar of investors seeking to shelter some funds for transit but solid investment as the Standard & Poor’s 500 index achieved its highest level in a month’s time on Thursday’s closing.

The August jobs report, which beat expectations on all fronts, is raising speculations that the Reserve Bank of Australia may resume hiking interest rates soon.

The Australian bourse posted strong gains on Thursday, buoyed by better-than-expected employment figures.

The International Air Services Commission (IASC) ruled on Thursday that Qantas Airways Ltd could retain its code-sharing agreements with South African Airways for another 12 months on service routes between Australia and South Africa.

In a last-ditch effort to purchase cheap shares, trader David Tweed has launched a legal bid to force diversified conglomerate Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) to open its register.

Insurance company Suncorp-Metway Limited (ASX: SUN) discovered that 32 percent of Australians are in the dark about their current worth. The alarming thing about the ignorance is it is by choice.

Australian supermarket chain Woolworths Ltd (ASX:WOW) remains open to further acquisitions as work continues on its venture into the multibillion-dollar hardware market.

The Northern Territory Government has given the site license for Tenax Energy to build a major tidal energy project over the Clarence Strait.

Coffee prices have been up for about 43 percent in the past three months.

Retirement home provider Aevum Limited (ASX: AVE) has opened the table for a number of companies.

The Australian share market was off to a strong start today on the back of positive lead from Wall Street overnight. Investors seem to welcome the easing of concerns that pulled the European markets down early on the week.