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• Coates Agrees to Deal with Carlyle, National Hire Monday, 1 Oct 2007 | 10:45 PM ET

  Australian equipment hire firm Coates Hire has agreed to a revised takeover bid from smaller rival National Hire and private equity firm Carlyle Group, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.

• Australia's Westpac to Buy RAMS Business for $125 Million Monday, 1 Oct 2007 | 8:59 PM ET

  Westpac Banking will buy the distribution arm of mortgage lender RAMS Home Loans Group, a high-profile Australian victim of the fallout from the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis, for $125 million.

• Australia's Wotif Bids $44 Million for Travel.com Sunday, 30 Sep 2007 | 11:03 PM ET

  Australian accommodation Website firm Wotif.com Holdings said on Monday it planned to make a takeover offer for online travel agency Travel.com.au, topping a rival bid.

• Australia's Basis Capital Fund Proposes Split: FT Sunday, 30 Sep 2007 | 10:57 PM ET

  Australian hedge fund Basis Capital has proposed splitting its surviving fund in two to save the business, which has been hit by its exposure to risky credit derivatives, the Financial Times newspaper reported.

• Australia's September Inflation Rise, Rate Increase Eyed Thursday, 27 Sep 2007 | 10:04 PM ET

  Inflation in Australia accelerated to the top of the central bank's comfort zone in September, a private survey suggested on Friday, keeping the door open for yet another rise in interest rates.

• Macquarie Bank to Acquire Canada Broker Orion Wednesday, 26 Sep 2007 | 10:43 PM ET

  Australian investment bank Macquarie Bank will buy Canadian investment and brokerage firm Orion Financial for about $146 million in cash and stock.

• Woodside Sells Mauritania Assets to Petronas Wednesday, 26 Sep 2007 | 9:05 PM ET

  Australia's Woodside Petroleum said on Thursday it will sell its Mauritanian assets to Malaysian state-owned oil and gas company Petronas as it looks to focus on more lucrative LNG projects.

• BHP Billiton Upgrades Olympic Dam Ore Resource Wednesday, 26 Sep 2007 | 12:59 AM ET

  Global mining giant BHP Billiton on Wednesday upgraded the size of its total ore resource at the giant Australian Olympic Dam uranium, copper and gold mine by 75% to 7.7 billion tons.

• Australia's David Jones Year Profit Jumps 35% Tuesday, 25 Sep 2007 | 7:45 PM ET

  Upmarket Australian retailer David Jones said on Wednesday its full-year profit climbed 35% on strong winter sales, and confirmed its outlook for an 8% -13% rise in profit in the current year.

• Australia's Sigma Cuts Outlook, Shares Plunge Wednesday, 19 Sep 2007 | 10:32 PM ET

  Australian drug maker and distributor Sigma Pharmaceuticals cut full-year  forecasts for the second time in three months on Thursday as regulatory changes hit profits, sending its shares plunging as much as 15%.

• SP Ausnet Plans to Buy Alinta Assets for $6.96 Billion Wednesday, 19 Sep 2007 | 8:48 PM ET

  Australian infrastructure firm SP Ausnet said on Thursday it has agreed with Singapore Power to buy some assets of energy firm Alinta for $6.96 billion.

• Australia Government Warns Banks Not to Raise Home Rates Wednesday, 19 Sep 2007 | 12:59 AM ET

  Australia's Treasurer Peter Costello on Wednesday warned the country's major banks not to raise their mortgage rates to maintain margins in the face of higher borrowing costs in markets.

• Australia's Coles Full-Year Profit Is Little Changed Tuesday, 18 Sep 2007 | 7:51 PM ET

  Australian supermarket chain Coles Group, the target of an $15.8 billion takeover bid, said on Wednesday its full-year profit was little changed from a year earlier, as grocery earnings stalled.