APN News & Media has said that its independent directors have yet to reach a conclusion over the Aus$2.4 billion (€1.42bn) takeover offer from an investment group headed by Independent News & Media.

The Australian builder of the much-delayed Wembley stadium complex saw its shares soar today after it confirmed it had received a takeover approach.

Australian media conglomerate APN News & Media Ltd said today it had received a renewed takeover bid from a buyout consortium led by Irish billionaire Tony O’Reilly’s Independent News & Media.

Tullow Oil has announced that shareholders of Hardman Resources have voted in favour of the acquisition of Hardman by Tullow.

Australian oil and gas exploration and production company Hardman Resources Limited has announced that the Federal Court of Australia today issued orders approving the scheme of arrangement relating to the proposed acquisition of Hardman by Tullow Oil.

Australian national carrier Qantas Airways said today it had accepted a €6.7bn takeover offer from a private equity consortium including the country’s Macquarie Bank and the Texas Pacific Group.

Wembley may not host next season’s FA Cup final as planned after Australian construction firm Multiplex revealed completion of the stadium could be delayed until June next year.

BABCOCK & BROWN CAPITAL confirmed to the Australian Stock Exchange yesterday that BCM, in conjunction with the Eircom Employee Share Ownership Trust (ESOT), has lodged a joint proposal with the board of Eircom.

Wembley chiefs are taking heart from the fact builders Multiplex have issued no further warnings to the Australian Stock Exchange despite a new problem developing with the £757m (€1.1bn) stadium.

Wembley chiefs are sticking to their guns in the face of fresh reports casting doubt over whether the national stadium will be ready in time for this year’s FA Cup final.

FOUR of Bank of Ireland’s top asset management employees have jumped ship to share a €16 million windfall with an Australian-owned rival.

Virgin Blue, the no-frills budget airline introduced to Australia in 2000 by Richard Branson, posted a 47% jump in annual net profit today, beating analyst forecasts.

Media magnate Rupert Murdoch’s global News Corporation empire shocked Australian investors today by announcing its shares will have a primary listing on the US stock market instead of the Australian exchange by the end of the year.

TONY RYAN, the founder of Ryanair, has invested in a new low-cost airline in Singapore in a bid to repeat the success of Ryanair in Asia.

New California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wants Richard Branson to base his planned new US cut-price domestic carrier in the state.

DOWN under, they do things differently.

THREE women protesters lay naked on a home-made Stars and Stripes flag in front of the US Consulate in Sydney yesterday while others burned two American flags, hours before representatives of 25 nations were to discuss how to liberalise world trade.

IF SEX sells, now's a good time to flog it to investors while they mourn the poor performance of most of their investments.

Virgin boss Richard Branson said today that he would expand his cut price-Australian domestic airline into Asia.

The head of Australia's stock exchange said the country should replace its battered currency with the US dollar to bolster its economy and end damaging currency fluctuations.