PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd's ability to speak Chinese is opening up trade opportunities for Australian businesses, a survey shows.

HIGH inflation had the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) agonising over whether to raise interest rates this month, board minutes reveal.

SHOPPERS may be unhappy with its grocery prices, but retail giant Woolworths is not about to say sorry - it's proud of its profits.

THE commodity boom may be turning into a bubble that could burst around the end of the year, according to a special report from Lehman Brothers in New York.