WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar has rebounded from fresh five-year lows after the US dollar fell following the release of the minutes of the Federal Reserve's latest minutes.
At 0658 AEDT on Thursday, the local currency was trading at 80.82 US cents, down from 80.73 cents on Wednesday.
And the Australian share market is expected to open higher after overnight rallies on Wall Street and in Europe.
At 0658 AEDT on Thursday, the March share price index futures contract was 20 points higher at 5,335.
ELSEWHERE:
PARIS - Heavily armed men shouting "Allahu Akbar" have stormed the Paris headquarters of a satirical weekly, killing 12 people in the worst attack in France in decades.
WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve was concerned about international risks to the US economy but saw no evidence of wage inflation, according to the minutes of the last meeting.
WASHINGTON - Hiring in the US private sector picked up pace in December, payroll company ADP says.
WASHINGTON - The US trade deficit shrank sharply in November to the smallest gap in nearly a year as imports fell more than exports, government data shows.
BRUSSELS - The eurozone slipped into deflationary territory for the first time since 2009 after prices dropped in December, official figures show.
MILAN AFP - Italy's unemployment rate hit a new record high in November, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Matteo Renzi as he struggles to implement reforms aimed at easing a downturn in the eurozone's third largest economy.
FRANKFURT - Unemployment in Germany fell in December as the labour market continues to shrug off weak growth, official data showed.
NEW YORK - Crashing oil prices have raised the cost of insuring against energy industry bond defaults higher than the cost of insuring junk bonds, according to a report.
WASHINGTON - New US government rules will require airlines to collect and analyse safety data in an effort to spot troubling trends and help prevent accidents.
LONDON - Royal Dutch Shell is to pay more than STG80 million ($A146 million) to a Nigerian fishing community "devastated" by two serious oil spills in 2008.
ZURICH - Switzerland's central bank dramatically increased its foreign currency reserves last month as it moves to keep the heated franc from getting too strong, data shows.
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