CANBERRA, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Growth in Australia's services sector moderated in January as interest rate rises and instability in world financial markets began to dent consumer confidence, a private survey showed.

The New South Wales Government has rejected the Opposition's proposal for a single, centralised transport authority.

SYDNEY, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The Australian dollar held its ground near three-month highs against the U.S. currency on Tuesday, despite waning risk appetite, bolstered by a widely expected interest rate hike by the central bank.

The Federal Government has announced a wide-ranging environmental study of the Kimberley in Western Australia to find a site for a processing plant for gas.

WELLINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Wages in New Zealand rose at a record pace in the fourth quarter, pointing to a drum-tight labour market and supporting the view the central bank will hold interest rates at current high levels for

NEW YORK/SYDNEY, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Kimco Realty Corp KIM.N, one of the largest U.S. owners of shopping centres, said on Monday it had bought A & #36;200 million ( & #36;182 million) worth of convertible bonds in Australia's Valad

The Federal Opposition says Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is creating problems for the economy by talking up the challenge of inflation.

McGuigan Simeon Wines has rejected a suggestion from grape growers that the company's name has been changed because of a consumer backlash.

Australia's services industry grew at a slower rate in January with global financial market turmoil, a survey shows.

Premier Mike Rann says the South Australian Government would demand that Mitsubishi repay millions of dollars in taxpayers' support if it pulls out of Australia.

MELBOURNE, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Australian shares slipped in early trade on Tuesday as investors braced for an expected hike in interest rates from the central bank later on.

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith says the Federal Government has been given assurances that no decision has been made as yet on the future of the Mitsubishi plant in South Australia.

The following substantial shareholder notices were made to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) yesterday.

Intel has built a new chip packed with a record two billion transistors, more than doubling the processing power of a line of its chips for supercomputers.

Richard Branson's Virgin Group has submitted a proposal for Northern Rock, taking pole position for the stricken mortgage lender.

BHP Billiton is preparing to launch its formal takeover bid for Anglo-Australian mining rival Rio Tinto Ltd on Wednesday.

Most economists say high inflation is more than likely to prompt the Reserve Bank (RBA) to lift interest rates by a quarter of a per cent when it meets today.

United States President George W Bush has unveiled a & #36;US3.1 trillion ( & #36;3.4 trillion) budget, the biggest in the nation's history.

WELLINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Auckland International Airport Ltd AIA.NZ said on Tuesday that talks with a potential second bidder had ended, while shareholder sentiment was running against a NZ & #36;1.8 billion ( & #36;1.4 billion) offer from a

Heavy rain and flash flooding in Sydney and the Illawarra has kept State Emergency Service (SES) crews busy and forced the closure of a number of roads overnight.