WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar is one US cent firmer after a leading US central banker suggested American interest rates should stay near zero for quite a bit longer.
At 0630 AEDT on Monday, the Australian dollar was worth 77.83 US cents, up from 76.85 US cents, on Friday.
And the Australian share market looks set to open higher after US stocks got a lift as greenback retreated following a Federal Reserve statement vowing a cautious approach to lifting interest rates.
At 0645 AEDT on Monday, the June share price index futures contract was up 28 points at 5,998.
ELSEWHERE:
BRUSSELS - European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker says he is making 2 billion euros ($A2.79 billion) of unused EU development funds available to Greece as it battles a cash crunch.
BEIJING - China's planned Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will complement rather than compete with established international lenders, officials say, as another two European countries expressed their interest in joining.
BUENOS AIRES - President Cristina Kirchner has warned that banks operating in Argentina must obey its laws, amid a row over Citibank's refusal to defy a US court order blocking Buenos Aires from repaying its restructured debt.
LONDON - The FTSE 100 Index has climbed above the 7000-mark for the first time in its history.
ZURICH - FIFA says it earned record revenue of $US2 billion ($A2.62 billion) last year, thanks to the World Cup's commercial power.
DUBAI - The Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) says it has secured a $US950 million ($A1.25 billion) Islamic sharia-compliant loan from regional banks.
FRANKFURT - German airline Lufthansa says its services are more or less back to normal after a four-day walkout by pilots, but unions warn of further disruptions, possibly over the Easter holidays.
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