BUSINESS

The Australian debt market opened with traders selling off bonds.

Google has confirmed reports that the Texas Attorney General is investigating the company in connection with an anti-trust lawsuit by two firms claiming it manipulated search results to harm the complainants.

Suncorp-Metway Limited (ASX: SUN) and Insurance Australia Group Limited (ASX: IAG), two of New Zealand's largest insurance companies, are prepared for the expected property damage claims caused by Saturday's earthquake.

The Australian shares market is expected to take the lead from the favorable closing at the Wall Street on Friday.

The AUD has opened firmly in the mid 0.9100's this morning after benefitting from the US payroll data released on Friday that saw a fall of 54k in jobs as compared to the expected decline of 105k jobs.

US non-farm payrolls (employment) fell by 54,000 in August, far better than expectations for a 110,000 decline in jobs. Estimates of job losses in June and July were also revised down.

U.S. stocks climbed Friday, with J.P. Morgan Chase, Caterpillar and International Business Machines leading the charge as a better than expected jobs report for August helped the market snap a three week losing streak.

The resurgence in the Aussie dollar continued on Friday night with the unwinding of risk trades persisting following the release of the U.S employment report.

The Australian stockmarket on Friday ended the week with a third successive strong performance as investors regained some confidence in the outlook for the global economy.

The Federal Department of Environment, Water, Environment, and the Arts has given the nod for the construction of the biggest coal gasification and storage plant in the world.

Junior mining firm Terramin Australia Ltd (ASX: TZN) said on Friday that its quest for acquisition targets is still underway as the company underscored its expansion plans by purchasing base metal projects that would deliver other opportunities aside from the companies core products of zinc.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) data shows a 15.2 percent rise in the sale of new cars in August. The figure translates to nearly 695,666 new cars being sold in for a twelve month period until August 2010.

Heemskirk Consolidated Ltd (ASX: HSK) has announced on Friday that it is set to opt out from its takeover proposal for North Queensland Metals Ltd (ASX: NQM) and would simply allow its standing offer to expire on September 10.

A market and social research group found a significant number of Australians becoming more carbon-efficient.

Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:SIP) says it has been advised of a shareholder class action lawsuit over its alleged failure to disclose its financial position before a capital raising in September 2009.

Qantas Airways said on Friday that amidst the improving global environments, the aviation industry is still locked in a challenging situation which explains its commitment in to the two-airline approach that company said would provide more room for economic flexibility, market leverage and a solid cash flow.

The Australian Office of Financial Management (AOFM) sold $700 million worth of Treasury Bonds.

The Australian share market is holding on to gains, after losing some ground with all four major banks slipping into the red.

After the launch of the controversial PS Jailbreak that allows users to copy PlayStation 3 games, a second hack on the console has been released that is free and claims to violate no laws on software piracy

Fortescue Metals Group (ASX: FMG) today denied claims it breached a funding agreement with a New York hedge fund that owns 8 per cent of the iron ore miner.

Gold prices registered gains on Thursday’s closing as investors scrambled to secure bullion purchases in anticipation of the August job data that could lead to a tottering US labour market and the expected rush for the safe-haven investments.

The seasonally adjusted Australian Industry Group (AI Group)-Commonwealth Bank Australian Performance of Services Index stayed below the critical 50-point level for the fourth consecutive month.

The National Broadband Network (NBN) primary player Telstra Corporation Limited (ASX: TLS) disclosed plans of selling its shares in SouFun Holdings

Groupola recently polled 1, 198 couples in the United Kingdom to ask them: Who tops your list of guilt-free celebrity hook-ups? Sixty-nine percent (69%) of the women participating in the survey chose Angelina Jolie's man Brad Pitt. Hollywood's Megan Fox is the top choice of seventy-two percent (72%) of the men.

As the US economy continues its slow recovery, oil prices barrelled through the $US75 per barrel with the light, sweet crude settled at $US1.11 to fetch $US75.02 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange while Brent crude traded at $US0.56 to end up at $US76.91 a barrel on the ICE future exchange.

Fortescue Metals Group (ASX: FMG) and its chief executive Andrew Forrest are being sued by top US investor Leucadia National (NYSE:LUK) for alleged "misleading and deceptive conduct".

Trading at the Australian Stock Exchange is going strong for the third straight day. The September share price index contract went up 30 points at 4,559.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited (ASX: BEN) senior executives are attending a global investor roadshow set for Monday in New York.

Australia's aborigines cry 'Noonkanbah' when the West Australian government started acquiring land for Woodside Petroleum Limited's (ASX: WPL) $30 billion gas project.