WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar is higher amid softer US economic data ahead of next week's US central bank meeting.
At 0630 AEST on Monday, the local currency was trading at 78.24 US cents, up from 78.10 cents on Friday.
And the Australian share market looks set to open higher after Wall Street gained on Friday with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both reaching new record highs.
At 0645 AEST on Monday, the June share price index futures contract was up 24 points at 5,962.
ELSEWHERE:
ATHENS - The interior minister of cash-strapped Greece has raised the possibility of fresh elections to give Greeks the last word on the government's economic policy.
ATHENS - Greece's radical left government has carried out its first privatisation since coming to power by selling a 20-year horseracing gambling licence to a subsidiary of Czech-Greek company Opap for 40.5 million euros ($A56.6 million).
WASHINGTON - Orders for US durable goods surged four per cent in March, driven by a jump in orders for both civilian and military aircraft and for cars.
FRANKFURT - Deutsche Bank says its profits fell about 50 per cent year on year in the first quarter over legal costs from a rate-rigging case brought by US and British authorities.
NEW YORK - Generic drug company Mylan has increased its offer for over-the-counter giant Perrigo, days after Israel's Teva attempted to head off that deal with its own bid for Mylan.
NEW YORK - Comcast and Time Warner Cable have announced that they had scrapped their mega-merger plans, amid opposition from US antitrust regulators.
LONDON - Global bank HSBC says it has launched a review on whether to remain headquartered in Britain as the country increases regulation and taxation of the sector.
BRUSSELS - The EU has removed a key hurdle to the merger between French cement giant Lafarge and Swiss rival Holcim, approving the sale of assets demanded for the deal to go through.
SEATTLE - Starbucks was back in business on Saturday after a computer outage forced thousands of its stores to close early the night before.
FRANKFURT - Volkswagen says board chairman Ferdinand Piech has resigned.
SAN FRANCISCO - A Google executive and self-described adventurer is among 10 people killed at a Mount Everest base camp in an avalanche triggered by the Nepal earthquake.
LONDON - Ukrainian businessman Len Blavatnik has been named the wealthiest man in Britain in a rich list studded with members of the international jet set living in London.
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