WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar has surged to a nine-month high after the chances of a May rate cut slimmed further.
At 0700 AEST on Friday, the local unit was trading at 76.95 US cents, up from 76.54 cents on Thursday.
And the Australian market looks set to open higher after slight gains on Wall Street as investors digested the latest round of big bank earnings.
At 0645 AEST on Friday, the share price index was up 14 points at 5,105.
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ELSEWHERE:
WASHINGTON - World financial leaders have sounded a sour note about the global economy, pointing to Britain's possible exit from the European Union as a serious threat alongside rising anti-trade sentiment and China's bumpy growth path.
WASHINGTON - US consumer prices rose less than expected in March and underlying inflation slowed, suggesting the Federal Reserve will remain cautious about raising interest rates this year.
LONDON - The Bank of England has warned that a British exit from the European Union would create extended uncertainty and likely hurt the economy in the short run.
LONDON - An oil output cut by global producers, following on from the output freeze initiative, is quite unlikely and would be months away, OPEC sources say.
LONDON - BP's shareholders have voted against chief executive Bob Dudley's $US20 million pay deal for 2015, a rare investor revolt for such a major company.
SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoft is suing the US government for the right to tell its customers when a federal agency is looking at their emails.
