Opposition leaders have called for Alex Salmond to apologise after he used a term linked to officials in Nazi Germany to describe a BBC adviser.

An international coalition to support Syria's opposition is being discussed after a UN attempt to end nearly 11 months of bloodshed was blocked.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for delivery in March, rose $US1.48 to $US97.84 a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for March delivery rallied $US2.51 to $US114.58 a barrel in London. The US economy added a net 234,000 jobs last month, pushing the unemployment rate down to 8.

AAP The Australian market looks set to open higher. At 0625 AEDT on Monday, the March share price index futures contract was up 56 points at 4,278. In economic news on Monday, the TD Securities-Melbourne Institute inflation gauge for January is released, as are the ANZ job advertisements series for....

Former finance minister Sauli Niinisto of the conservative National Coalition Party has been elected as Finland's president.

Unemployment figures give new impetus to calls for an elected assembly for the north of England Jobs in the north of England are being lost at four times the rate in the rest of the country, deepening the economic divide and prompting new calls for devolution of powers to an elected assembly for the north.

Labour leader urges cross-party campaign to block Andrew Lansley's health reform bill Labour leader Ed Miliband is calling on the public to join a three-month campaign to kill off the government's controversial NHS reforms as pressure mounts on David Cameron to withdraw the coalition's flagship health and social care bill from parliament.

A renewed focus on Europe's banking and debt crisis may quickly sap the nascent optimism about global economic prospects that followed a remarkably solid U.S. January employment report.

Reuters - TiVo Inc is trading at a compelling discount and could be a possible acquisition target by Microsoft or Google, Barron's financial newspaper reported on Sunday.

William Hague on Sunday accused Russia and China of "tipping Syria closer to civil war" as he urged the Arab League to take the lead in international efforts to force President Bashar al-Assad from power.

If school students are to be sent to areas that are at the heart of the of the country’s internal political argument, then it is vitally important that they are shown both sides of the argument.

Even if the historical sites will not remain under Israeli sovereignty after a permanent settlement with the Palestinians, young Israeli Jews should be exposed to them.

Giving a few tax credits to the poor does not justify the tremendous tax cuts given to the rich.