WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar has slipped after a fall in oil prices hurt commodity currencies.
At 0630 AEDT on Tuesday, the currency was trading at 72.66 US cents, down from 73.28 cents on Monday.
And the Australian share market looks set to open lower, following Wall Street's lead into the red as energy and raw material stocks took a hit with oil prices falling to their lowest in nearly seven years.
At 0645 AEDT on Tuesday, the December share price index futures contract was down 16 points at 5,133.
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ELSEWHERE:
NEW YORK - Oil prices have skidded to their lowest level in nearly seven years, hurting the shares of major oil companies on Wall Street as a global glut showed no signs of abating, while European stocks benefited from a weaker euro.
FAIRFIELD, Connecticut - GE has scrapped a $US3.3 billion ($A4.5 billion) plan to sell its home appliance business to the Swedish company Electrolux, a deal opposed by US regulators over concerns about competition.
PARIS - A French appeals court has upheld charges against taxi app company Uber, fining it 150,000 euros ($A220,000) for "misleading commercial practices".
ZURICH - Debt-laden mining giant Glencore says it has begun talks with miners at its Collinsville coal mine in Australia where it plans to cut back production affecting 180 jobs.
NEW YORK - US antitrust officials have challenged a proposed $US6.3 billion ($A8.58 billion) merger between office-supply giants Staples and Office Depot, arguing the combination would harm the business-to-business market for office supplies and services.
