Seoul - Microsoft Corp plans to invest 60 million dollars in South Korea's software industry over the next three years, chief executive Steve Ballmer told President Lee Myung Bak Monday during a visit to the Asian country.

The world's largest software maker wants to concentrate its investment on advancing software developers and new companies in the industry, Ballmer was quoted as saying by Lee's office.

US-based Microsoft also wants to encourage these firms in their expansions to other countries, he added.

Before his meeting with Lee, Ballmer signed an investment agreement with South Korean authorities for the promotion of the software sector.

Melbourne, Nov 3 : The cheapest place in the world to buy an Apple iPod is Australia, owing to the dramatic fall in the country’s dollar in the last several months, says a new study.

The study conducted by CommSec reflects its "iPod index", which measures the price of an 8GB iPod nano in 62 countries to compare currencies.

According to CommSec chief economist Craig James, Australia went to the cheapest spot after being placed 14th cheapest in July.

The study revealed that an 8GB iPod costs 131.95 US Dollars.

New Delhi - India's benchmark Sensitive Index jumped 585 points Monday, buoyed by weekend interest rate cuts announced by the country's central bank.

The 30-share Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange closed at 10337.68, 5.62 per cent above its previous close.

The broader 50-share Nifty of the National Stock Exchange rose 5.48 per cent to 3,043.85.

Melbourne, Nov 3 : Aussie football players indulge in the riskiest drinking outside the football season, reveals a study on drinking patterns of AFL (Australian Football League) players.

The study underlined the fact that the drinking habits of AFL players differ significantly from those of the general population.

This is the first study to put an entire sporting clan under the scanner, and as the researchers claim, the results suggest that there’s a need to apply an entirely different approach to alcohol education for this group.

Wiesbaden, Germany - Plans for a provincial alliance between Germany's co-ruling Social Democrats (SPD) and the small opposition Left party foundered Monday, with dissenting legislators in the state of Hesse saying they would not vote for it.

The fragile link-up, drafted by the state SPD leader Andrea Ypsilanti, had been described by opponents as possibly a model for a federal government after a general election in September next year.

Hamburg - Jelena Jankovic heads into the season-ending WTA championships which started on Monday as the top-ranked tennis player and with the knowledge that she will keep this place for the rest of the year.

The Serb Jankovic tops the latest rankings issued on Monday with 4,555 points and can't be toppled at the final event of the year in Doha which brings together the leading eight players.

Russia's Dinara Safina is second on 3,752 points and Serena Williams of the US third on 3,716 in an unchanged top 10.