AAP

The number of Chinese visitors heading Down Under has outstripped the UK, making the Middle Kingdom Australia's second biggest market behind New Zealand.

Bremer Bay residents in the Great Southern region are being urged to stay away from the town as the threat of high winds pushing a nearby bushfire through containment lines remains, Shire of J

Australian shares finished firmer as investors sought high-yielding bank stocks following this week's official interest rate cut.

Forecasters are warning that severe thunderstorms could sweep across many parts of Western Australia, while a severe weather warning for Perth has been cancelled this afternoon.

Despite overseeing Perth's grand final appearance last season, Glory chief executive Paul Kelly has resigned from the A-League club after three years in the role.

 Mining has been banned around a prime tourist attraction in the west Kimberley, the Horizontal Falls, but it's unclear which miners will be affected.

The nation's largest cattle producer, Australian Agricultural Company is on track to post a 2.5 per cent increase in sales for the year.

Shop owners have received some good news ahead of Christmas, with data showing the retail services sector expanding for the first time in 12 months.

Rare earths miner Lynas is facing further court action against the operation of its new plant in Malaysia.

Mining giant AngloGold Ashanti and Independence Group have increased their resource estimate for their Tropicana gold joint venture by almost 1.5 million ounces.

The nation's second largest oil and gas producer Santos has cut 100 jobs from its South Australian operations.Redundancies will begin in the first quarter of 2013.

 Treasurer Wayne Swan says the latest growth figures show the ongoing resilience of the Australian economy in the face of a difficult and volatile global environment.

Australian stocks have opened firmer, with banking stocks among the better performers in early trade.

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has rejected warnings by a former Reserve Bank governor that fiscal policy is going in the wrong direction.

US stocks closed slightly lower on Tuesday as Washington continued to wrangle over a budget plan that would avoid the year-end "fiscal cliff."

Australia's winter crops have resisted several months of dry weather to shape up for a better than average harvest.

Vodafone Hutchison Australia looks set to remain on the local scene for a while yet after shareholders approved chief executive Bill Morrow's 2013 business plan for boosting the telco's network per

The Australian dollar is higher after rallying on the back of the central bank's interest rate cut.

The Australian share market closed more than half a per cent lower after the Reserve Bank of Australia cut the cash rate to three per cent amid a weak global growth outlook.

Major banks are under pressure to deliver some Christmas cheer in the form of cheaper mortgages after the Reserve Bank returned its cash rate to record low levels.

Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey says the cash-rate cut shows the government has no plan to deal with the deterioration in the Australian economy.

Ferry services will play an increasing role in Perth's public transport plans, Transport Minister Troy Buswell has said, while announcing a trial of late night services.

A sharp fall in building approvals is another sign the Reserve Bank of Australia should cut the cash rate at its monthly board meeting.

Australia's unemployment rate is expected to continue to grind higher, possibly peaking at around six per cent in 2013.

Retail company Premier Investments says the lack of GST on overseas online purchases under $1000 is seriously harming Australian businesses.

Australian stocks have opened flat, as local market players await a likely interest rate cut from the central bank.

More support is needed for the struggling Australian food production sector after iconic food brand Rosella was placed in receivership, a national vegetable growers' group says.

US food processing giant Archer Daniels Midland Company has increased its offer for grains marketer and maltster GrainCorp to $2.78 billion.

Crown has received government permission for an additional 500 gaming machines its new six-star luxury hotel development proposed for Perth.

US stock markets started December in the red on Monday after poor data on the manufacturing sector added to worries about the year-end onslaught of federal tax increases and spending cuts.

The Australian dollar is almost a third of a US cent lower after the release of weaker than expected retail trade data.

The Australian share market finished half a per cent higher as investors were buoyed by encouraging data about Chinese manufacturing and expectations of an interest rate cut by the local central ba