Eike Batista has ridden up the commodities boom to become the richest guy in his country. He aims to keep going.

Dubai's spectacular collapse has destroyed vast fortunes and exposed the dangers of doing business in the Gulf. What have investors learned?

Carlos Slim Helu takes No. 1 spot on Forbes World's Billionaires list as a record 164 10-figure titans return to the ranking amid the global economic recovery.

Indian-owned coal producer Gujarat NRE Coking Coal Ltd plans to spend $500m expanding its two mines in the Illawarra region of NSW over the next five years.

Hobart and the sleepy regional north Queensland town of Silkwood were among the best performing property markets over the past decade, research found.

Coal prices are tipped to rise in coming months amid constrained supply and ongoing Chinese demand.

The Australian dollar closed slightly lower after mixed employment figures indicated the central bank would keep interest rates on hold in April.

Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange at close.

Across Asia, regional indices are all weaker after inconclusive direction from Wall Street, with higher metal prices and positive reads on the US service sector being offset by Washington rhetoric about reforms to the healthcare and financial sectors

The share market closed marginally lower as investors worried that China may move to cool economic growth after a higher than expected inflation figure.

Perth's wireless broadband blackspots will be eliminated when Vivid Wireless launches the 4G wireless broadband network, its chairman Ryan Stokes says.

Seven Network shareholders are warming to Kerry Stokes' $3 billion push to merge the television group with WesTrac, the media mogul's right-hand man says.

China's inflation spiked higher in February, adding to pressure on Beijing to prevent overheating and keep China's recovery on track.

CBio has received a $1 million milestone payment from global pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk in relation to the development of CBio's drug, XToll.

Tiger Airways Holdings Ltd has reported strong growth in passenger numbers and an improvement in load factors for February.

Seven Network Ltd has appointed one of its executives to the position of chief financial officer of its media assets.

The Australian dollar was weaker at noon after mixed employment figures suggested the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) might hold interest rates steady in April.

The Australian stock market was flat at noon, reversing early gains as market players absorbed the latest set of employment figures.

Stocks of interest on the Australian stock exchange at noon.

Credit Suisse has priced its inaugural Australian bond sale, with the issue of $1.1 billion of four year notes.

Centrebet International says it first become aware of takeover proposals in February but did not tell the market until this week for reasons of confidentiality.

Cooper Energy says flooding in the Cooper Basin is likely to have an impact on its South Australian operations as roads are cut off and oil fields are isolated.

The jobless rate edged up to 5.3 per cent in February from a downwardly revised 5.2 per cent in January, with the number of people employed barely rising.

Australia's exports of iron ore and coal rose to record levels in the December quarter buoyed by strong demand from Japan, Korea and China.

Consumer inflationary expectations were flat in March, but signs of economic growth meant the proportion of people who expect prices to remain stable declined.

Internet service provider iiNet says it is in discussions with rival Netspace about a takeover but no decision has been made to proceed with the acquisition.

Controversy over the future of the 16-nation eurozone sparked by Greece's fiscal crisis reached a new pitch this week over ideas for a rescue fund.

The complex financial products helped blow up the US housing market. They all but sank AIG. Now European officials want to crack down on a derivative called a credit default swap.

Leighton Holdings Ltd has won a $463 million contract to construct part of an express rail link between Hong Kong and mainland China.

Copper prices retreated on Wednesday after lingering worries over global economic health nudged the industrial metal into negative territory, analysts said.