It's official: I am flying to the States on Sunday morning for nearly three weeks at our LA office. I'll be staying at the company apartment in Santa Monica. On the first weekend, I'm going to fly up to visit

THE Australian dollar closed weaker today for the first time in a week - after reaching a 25-year high above $US0.9800 overnight - as the central bank chief hinted that interest rates may have peaked.

QUEENSLAND Police are ready to tighten security for the return of Dr Jayant Patel, police commissioner Bob Atkinson says.

WESTERN Australia's FuelWatch price monitoring scheme is rendered useless by a "comfortable oligopoly" of oil companies and supermarkets with little or no competition, a Senate inquiry has been told.

THE share market shrugged off renewed US financial jitters to close solidly as retailer Woolworths reported good sales and bargain hunters snapped up the big banks and other beaten-down stocks.

A MOTORIST who attacked a speed-camera car with a wheel brace, sending shards of glass into the eyes of its operator, has lost his appeal against a jail sentence.

A MAN critically injured in a tobogganing accident at Victoria's Mt Buller ski resort has been airlifted to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne.

POLICE believe they have busted a major drug syndicate in Melbourne's northern suburbs with the arrest of four men this morning.

A MAN has been crushed to death in an industrial accident northeast of Melbourne.

Standout Queensland Yamaha Junior Development Team star Shaun Redhead will jet out of Australia at the end of July to contest the FIM World Junior Motocross Championships in Holland on August 9 and...

FIND out how much your expenses will rise in the first year of the Government's coming pollution tax.

RBA governor Glenn Stevens is confident high interest rates are slowing spending and will curb inflation.

AFTER falling 2 per cent yesterday, the share market is expected to open even lower this morning on the back of falls in the US.

THE Australian economy is expected to record below trend growth for the rest of the year and into 2009, a survey shows.

GROCERY giant Woolworths expects its annual net profit to jump between 21pc and 25pc on the back of strong sales growth.

THE Australian dollar was higher at noon, maintaining its lofty perch above $US0.9800 on continued US dollar weakness.

CBA boss Ralph Norris says there is still a risk banks will make more "out of sequence" hikes to mortgage interest rates

OPTUS has issued an unreserved apology after a contractor accidentally cut a fibre optic cable in Queensland causing loss of all its phone and internet services in the state and severely disrupting business.

RIO Tinto, the focus of a $US153 billion ($156.43bn) takeover by BHP Billiton, has delivered record output for iron ore and aluminium in its second quarter.

DOCTOR Jayant Patel is in good spirits ahead of his extradition to Australia, according to the US Marshals holding him in an undisclosed prison.