WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar is weaker after the US Federal Reserve released the minutes of its decision to end stimulus.
At 0630 AEDT on Thursday, the local currency was trading at 86.18 US cents, down from 86.65 cents on Wednesday.
And the Australian share market looks set to open lower after Wall Street fluctuated as the Federal Reserve's minutes show many policymakers see the need to watch for inflation.
At 0645 AEST on Thursday, the December share price index futures contract was down 12 points at 5,363.
ELSEWHERE:
WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve policymakers saw a potential threat to US growth from the global slowdown and a possible decrease in inflation in their last meeting.
WASHINGTON - Construction of new homes fell slightly in October after a big surge in the previous month.
TOKYO - The Bank of Japan has kept its upbeat economic view despite data showing the country had slipped into recession
REYKJAVIK - The former head of Icelandic bank Landsbanki has been handed a 12-month sentence over his role in the bank's collapse in 2008.
BEIJING - China aims to cap its annual coal use at 4.2 billion tonnes by 2020, a one-sixth increase on current consumption, already by far the world's largest.
NEW YORK - US company Target has reported a 3.2 per cent rise in its third-quarter profit, beating Wall Street expectations as shoppers spent more on beauty products and back-to-school fashions.
DETROIT, Michigan - Volkswagen is recalling 442,000 Jettas and Beetles to fix a problem that can cause rear suspension failure if the cars aren't fixed properly after a crash.
COPENHAGEN - Denmark's national transport authority has filed a police complaint against the Uber car-sharing startup which they say is operating illegally.
HELSINKI - Uber is expanding its app-based taxi and ridesharing services in the Nordic region, to include the cities of Helsinki, Oslo and Copenhagen.
PARIS - Areva's share price has plunged after the struggling French nuclear giant abandoned its financial targets for the next two years.
ABU DHABI - Video game and e-commerce markets are growing "exponentially" across the Middle East and North Africa, driven by the mobile revolution and new youth-produced content, according to a study.
