AAP

Gold prices have slumped to a near-six-month low, as investors from China jittery about trade skirmishes with the United States unloaded bullion, and others joined the selling spree after prices breached below technical support of $US1,290 per ounce.

The Australian share market has closed at a four-week high after investors decided it was time to buy back into beaten-down banks, and the major miners and energy stocks made solid gains.

Australia's corporate watchdog has started legal action against Westpac over poor financial advice provided by one of the bank's former financial planners, Sudhir Kumar Sinha.

The Australian share market has rallied in early trade thanks to higher commodity prices boosting the miners and a strong start from the big banks after a positive lead from Wall Street.

Gold prices have risen to a one-month high after the European Central Bank pledged to keep interest rates steady through to the northern summer of 2019 and investors fret over weak Chinese data.

Oil prices are mixed, with Brent slipping and WTI gaining, as a stronger US dollar weighs and a key supply-setting meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries looms.

The Australian dollar has slipped below 75 US cents, dropping more than half a cent as the greenback soars with the US dollar index up 1.1 per cent.

Australian shares have closed the day weaker after soft local job figures and weak economic data out of China weighed on a market already under pressure from overnight falls on Wall Street.

The Western Australian government has downplayed security worries around the expected award of a $120 million Public Transport Authority contract to Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.

The former executive officer of a Western Australian Aboriginal corporation has been ordered to pay more than $430,000 in compensation and penalties after he borrowed money from the non-profit entity that he couldn't repay.

Western Australia’s unemployment rate fell slightly in May to 6.4 per cent despite the local economy losing nearly 2,000 jobs, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The Australian share market has lost marginal ground following a negative lead from Wall Street after the US Federal Reserve hiked interest rates and foreshadowed a brisker pace of rises for the rest of 2018.

The Australian dollar is a little higher against its US counterpart after a jump then fall in the greenback following the Federal Reserve's lifting of its key interest rate by a quarter of one per cent.

Oil prices have turned positive after a bigger-than-expected decline in US crude inventories along with surprise drawdowns in petrol and distillates indicated strong demand in the world's top oil consumer.

Gold prices have turned lower after the US Federal Reserve announced it was raising interest rates.

The Australian share market has closed lower as investors await a decision overnight on interest rates from the US Federal Reserve, and also the European Central Bank.

The Australian share market has opened lower, hurt by financial, material and energy stocks following mixed leads from offshore and as investors await the outcome of the US Federal Reserve meeting.

The Australian dollar is lower after the US currency strengthened following a report that Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell was considering more post-meeting press conferences.

Oil prices have closed mixed, with US crude settling higher before falling in post-settlement trading, and Brent slipping as investors prepared for a key meeting of the OPEC producer group next week.

Gold prices remain locked just below $US1,300 an ounce as investors wait for clues on the pace of US interest rate rises following the impending conclusion of a Federal Reserve policymaking meeting.

Virgin Australia chief executive John Borghetti will leave his role in 2020, ending a decade at the company.

The Australian share market edged higher, supported by energy, healthcare and consumer-exposed stocks, as US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held talks aimed at denuclearisation of the Korean peninsular.

Australia shares have opened flat despite a strong lead from major international markets, ahead of the Singapore summit between US president Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un.

Oil prices are little changed as comments from the Iraqi oil minister casts doubt as to whether the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will decide to boost output at its upcoming meeting.

Gold has inched higher, as investors anticipate the US central bank monetary policy meeting this week that is expected to boost interest rates, and ahead of a US-North Korea summit.

Clive Palmer has been ordered to disclose the entirety of his personal assets as part of an ongoing legal dispute with Queensland Nickel liquidators.

The Australian share market lost ground on a day of low trading volumes as investors hold fire ahead of the imminent G7 meeting in Canada.

Rio Tinto has committed to a 200 million yuan ($41 million) joint venture with state-owned China Minmetals to explore mineral deposits in China.

The Australian share market is lower after upbeat sentiment on Wall Street and Europe's key share markets dried up and investors await a key G7 meeting that starts tonight (AEST).

The Australian dollar is lower against a weakened US dollar and the other major currencies, while market risk sentiment has flipped from upbeat to downbeat when Wall Street opened with no obvious reason.

Global benchmark Brent crude has surged nearly $US2 a barrel, lifted by concern about a steep drop in exports from Venezuela and worries OPEC may not raise production at its June meeting.

US dollar weakness has helped boost gold prices, but gains were limited as the market awaited clues from next week's meeting of the Federal Reserve on the pace of US interest rate rises.