WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar has slipped from the one-week high reached on Tuesday after the central bank left the cash rate on hold and gave a more upbeat assessment on the local economy.
At 0630 AEST on Wednesday, the local unit was trading at 93.94 US cents, down from 94.20 cents on Tuesday.
And the Australian share market looks set to open higher following gains on international markets amid hopes the partial US government shutdown will not seriously harm the economy and of a settlement to Italy's political crisis.
At 0706 AEST on Wednesday, the September share price index futures contract was up 23 points at 5,232.
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WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama has slammed Republicans for shutting down the government as part of an "ideological crusade" designed to kill his signature health care law.
WASHINGTON - US manufacturing expanded in September for the fourth month in a row, pointing to a pick-up in the sector.
DETROIT - Automakers have reported mixed US sales in September, with General Motors' sales down sharply from a year ago.
BRUSSELS - Eurozone unemployment fell for the first time in two and a half years in July and August but, with 19 million people jobless, analysts say the labour market remains the weak link in recovery.
BRUSSELS - The EU hopes to end a high-stakes anti-trust dispute with internet giant Google by next northern spring, with a settlement seeming increasingly possible.
NEW YORK - US pharmaceutical giant Merck says it will eliminate an additional 8,500 jobs worldwide as it seeks to cut costs by $US2.5 billion ($A2.7 billion) by the end of 2015.
NEW YORK - Online retail giant Amazon will hire more than 70,000 full-time employees in the US in the coming weeks to help with holiday orders.
NEW YORK - Wells Fargo bank says it will pay $US869 million ($A934.36 million) to Freddie Mac to settle claims of potential fraud in home loans it sold to the US government-controlled mortgage company.
NEW YORK - Activist investor Carl Icahn says he wants Apple to launch an additional share buyback of $US150 billion ($A161 billion) to help boost the company's struggling stock value.
CAMDEN, New Jersey - Campbell Soup is selling its European simple meals business to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for 400 million euros ($A583 million).
