AUSTRALIA

Every winter, an ice road is laid across 400 km (250 miles) of tundra to carry supplies to one of the world's most isolated gold mines.

The Japanese yen rose broadly on Tuesday as investors bought the low-yielding currency as U.S. stocks declined and on rising risk aversion after disappointing economic data from China.

A court in army-ruled Myanmar on Tuesday sentenced opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to 18 months in detention, a verdict that drew condemnation abroad and will keep her off the political stage ahead of next year's elections.

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd and China Investment Corp (CIC), China's $200 billion sovereign wealth fund, are in advanced talks on a $1 billion-plus convertible bond investment to help the Australian iron ore miner fund its expansion, two sources said on Tuesday.

Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto said on Tuesday it had yet to be presented with any evidence to support the detention of four of its China-based staff on suspicions of stealing state secrets.

Oil rose below $71 a barrel on Tuesday, ending a three-day losing streak ahead of U.S. data expected to show a fall in gasoline stocks, with weaker-than-expected Chinese economic data acting as a drag.

Australia brushed off on Tuesday a Chinese report accusing iron ore miner Rio Tinto Ltd of overcharging and spying on Chinese steel mills, saying it had not been officially sanctioned.

Oil was steady below $71 a barrel on Tuesday ahead of U.S. data expected to show a fall in gasoline stocks, with weaker-than-expected Chinese economic data acting as a drag.

Oil was steady below $71 a barrel on Tuesday ahead of U.S. data expected to show a fall in gasoline stocks, with weaker-than-expected Chinese economic data acting as a drag.

Despite some slightly disappointing home loan and investment lending data out of Australia yesterday the Aussie dollar edged higher in Asia bouncing back from an early Monday morning sell off to 0.8330.

McDonald's Corp said sales at restaurants open at least 13 months rose a better-than-expected 4.3 percent in July, helped by gains in Britain, France and the United States.

McDonald's Corp said sales at restaurants open at least 13 months rose a better-than-expected 4.3 percent in July, helped by gains in Britain, France and the United States.

New Zealand set itself a goal on Monday to cut carbon emissions by between 10 and 20 percent by 2020, holding off setting a hard target until a broader global climate pact now under negotiation takes shape.

China's Yanzhou Coal has agreed to buy coal miner Felix Resources Ltd, a source said, in a deal worth up to $3.3 billion that underscores China's growing interest in Australia's resources sector.

Shares in global miner Rio Tinto Ltd fell more than 3 percent on Monday after a Chinese magazine published additional spying allegations against the company.

The US Dollar lost considerable ground against the Pound and EURO early last week with both currencies breaking through the physiological resistance barriers of 1.70 and 1.44 respectively.

China's state secrets watchdog has accused mining multinational Rio Tinto of engaging in commercial spying over six years, saying data on Rio computers showed the espionage came at a huge loss to China.

Korea East-West Power Co Ltd (EWP) and LG Corp are considering a joint venture in Australia this year, mainly to procure coal in the spot market for EWP, industry sources close to the deal said on Thursday.

China Metallurgical Group plans to seek dual listings in Hong Kong and Shanghai as early as September to raise up to $4 billion, said sources with direct knowledge of the deal, which could be the world's second-largest fundraising this year.

Stocks in Shanghai dropped 3 percent on Thursday, weighed by speculation China may take more steps to rein in liquidity, slashing the Australian dollar's gains, while copper slid from 10-month highs after disappointing U.S. services data.

Media conglomerate News Corp posted a quarterly net loss on Wednesday after taking charges in some of its units, including the one that houses the MySpace online social network.