In the US, trading closed a short time ago and the Dow Jones edged slightly higher, while the S&P 500 finished slightly lower.

 

 

And the Australian dollar is worth nearly 102.3 US this morning. It'll also buy you 63 British pence and a dollar 25 New Zealand.

 

 

A formal deal has been clinched to sell Australia's largest cotton farm to a Chinese-controlled consortium. Cubbie Station in southern Queensland is being sold to the Shandong RuYi Group and the Lempriere Texile Company. Under the deal signed with Cubbie's administrators, the Shandong Group promised to hounor the Australian government's conditions, which include reducing its stake to 51 percent in three years. The sale is still subject to finance approval for the buyers.

 

 

Poland has told a meeting of Eurozone finance ministers that it's unlikely to join the economic union any time soon. Poland is the only European Union member to avoid recession since the 2008 Wall Street crash. But its economy has recently faced an abrupt slowdown with some economists predicting Poland may face a recession early next year.