WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar has regained ground to start the session above 91 US cents as Wall Street slips.
At 0630 AEDT on Wednesday, the local unit was trading at 91.31 US cents, up from 90.67 cents on Tuesday.
And the Australian share market looks set to open lower following falls on Wall Street amid concerns that the US Federal Reserve will scale back its bond-buying program more quickly than previously thought.
At 0645 AEDT on Wednesday, the December share price index futures contract was down 36 points at 5,218.
ELSEWHERE:
PARIS - Inflation in advanced countries slowed to 1.3 per cent in October from 1.5 per cent the previous month, the OECD says.
VIENNA - Iran will "immediately" export more crude oil once sanctions are lifted in the wake of the international deal to roll back its nuclear program, the country's oil minister says.
WASHINGTON - A measure of US home prices rose only modestly in October, adding to signs that prices have stabilised after big gains earlier this year.
MUMBAI - India's current account deficit - the broadest measure of trade - has narrowed to its lowest quarterly level in four years, fuelling optimism that Asia's third largest economy is on the mend.
MOSCOW - Russia has once again sharply lowered its growth forecast amid fresh indications that the resource-rich nation will remain one of the emerging world's worst performers for years to come.
CHICAGO - The US car industry looks set to post one of its best performances in years as major automakers reported strong gains in November sales.
BERLIN - New car sales in Germany are expected to show a 5.0 per cent drop in 2013 but to recover slightly next year, trade officials say.
AMSTERDAM - Royal Dutch Shell PLC says it has completed building the hull of the world's largest floating facility, which has been constructed to process natural gas off the coast of Western Australia.
