AAP

A former financial adviser accused of defrauding and stealing from his clients acted in their best interests during the global financial crisis, when they were all victims of the stock market plunge.

The share market has closed flat after a late fall by miners offset gains by Telstra and financial stocks.

The premier of Australia's mining capital has cautioned African nations against succumbing to pressure from resources companies for subsidies.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has confirmed he hopes to sign a nuclear cooperation agreement that will enable Australia to sell uranium to India.

Clive Palmer has been accused of not understanding small business after dealing away tax concessions in a pact to scrap the mining tax.

The West Coast Eagles are a step closer towards establishing a world-class AFL training facility at Lathlain Park after agreeing to terms over the lease for new facilities.

Joe Hockey's claim Western Australia is suffering from poor budget management is "very unfortunate", Premier Colin Barnett says.

Australia has notched up a record-breaking 23 years of expansion, but the economy remains fragile as it searches for another source of growth to pick up where the mining boom left off.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank hopes to raise $200 million through an issue of hybrid securities to investors.

The Australian share market has opened slightly lower after markets in the US put in a mixed performance overnight and some major stocks on the local bourse traded ex-dividend.

Wall Street stocks have finished mixed as investors digested August's gains in equities ahead of closely-watched central bank and labour market news later this week.

US oil prices have plunged more than $US3 following weak manufacturing data from China and Europe and amid generous supplies around the world.

The Australian dollar has dropped to a two week low as strong US economic data gives the greenback a boost.

Gold prices fell to a two-month low on Tuesday and palladium posted its steepest decline in two months, as pressure from a stronger dollar snuffed out investor appetite for the haven assets.

The share market has edged to its highest close since mid-2008 after the release of mixed economic data and another decision from the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates steady.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has left the cash rate unchanged and again forecast no moves for a period of time.

Businessman Joseph Gutnick has reduced his stake in a Western Australian gold explorer a week after resolving his stoush with the company's board.

Australian banks are lending out money at a faster rate than they are taking it in from deposits, forcing them to increasingly rely on international funding markets, rating agency Moody's warned.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has intervened in an internal stoush over how the states share GST revenue.

The mining tax is all but abolished after the Senate agreed to repeal the Labor impost with amendments.

Shares in oil and gas explorer AWE have bounced by more than 3 per cent on news it has made a significant gas discovery in the Perth basin.

The Australian economy is expected to have hit a speed bump after going at breakneck speed earlier in the year.

Engineering firm Downer EDI has won a construction contract worth up to $170 million at the Chevron-operated Gorgon gas project on Barrow Island off the north-west coast of Western Australia.

The Australian sharemarket is flat following a quiet night overseas.

The Australian dollar has slipped a little after a quiet night of trade with volumes down because of a US public holiday.

The price of gold rose on the European spot market on Monday, pushed up slightly by the escalation of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The Reserve Bank is not expected to make any change to the cash rate when it meets on Tuesday, and a rate hike looks unlikely before the middle of 2015.

Global oil prices slid on Monday in subdued deals before a public holiday in the United States and as dealers digested weak Chinese manufacturing data, analysts said.

BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto may be powering ahead, but Australia's mining sector has taken a serious hit in the wake of sliding commodity prices.

The Australian share market has closed almost flat in the absence of any major corporate news and with little impact from Chinese manufacturing data.

The operator of Westfield shopping centres in Australia and New Zealand says it would consider selling partial stakes in some of its centres.

Australia is ramping up its business and trade sanctions against Russia.