WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar has drifted lower after getting a boost on Tuesday from the Reserve Bank's monthly statement.
At 0705 AEST on Wednesday, the local currency was trading at 92.64 US cents, down from 92.77 cents on Tuesday.
And the share market is set to open higher despite a modest fall on Wall Street overnight in quiet trade.
At 0705 AEST on Wednesday, the March share price index futures contract was 10 points higher at 5,492.
ELSEWHERE:
WASHINGTON - New orders for US manufactured goods rose for the third consecutive month in April, lifted by defence orders, but the pace of gains slowed, according to government data.
BRUSSELS - The eurozone unemployment rate has fallen to 11.7 per cent in April, official data showed, with notable signs of improvement in Portugal and Ireland.
BRUSSELS - Eurozone inflation has fallen to 0.5 per cent in May, down from the 0.7 per cent record in April, official data shows.
MADRID - Spain's jobless queue shrank dramatically in May, the government says, encouraging news for an economy gingerly recovering from a long, job-wrecking downturn.
NEW YORK - Facebook has agreed to buy the Finnish-based tech startup Pryte, which enables smartphone users to purchase mobile data on demand, the companies say.
DOHA - Safety in global aviation remains high, the International Air Transport Association says, as it seeks to improve in-flight tracking after the disappearance of a Malaysian passenger jet in March.
TAIPEI - US chip giant Intel has declared its faith in the future of the personal computer in a landscape increasingly dominated by super-slim tablets and mobiles.
PARIS - French police have carried out a dozen raids concerning state-controlled nuclear giant Areva's controversial 2007 purchase of a Canadian uranium mining company, a judicial source says.
BUDAPEST - A new proposal in Hungary to impose a heavy tax on media advertising revenues threatens the free press, journalists and analysts say.
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