AAP

The Federal Court has made a ruling in favour of traditional owners following a five-year native title dispute with miners in the Pilbara.

Macmahon Holdings has apologised to shareholders for its recent earnings downgrade, as the mining contractor undertakes a review of costs and construction projects.

 Network Ten is expected to begin sacking journalists after failing to obtain sufficient voluntary redundancies, a union says.

The Australian stock market finished higher as investors sat on their hands ahead of the US presidential election.

The Australian dollar rallied to its highest level in almost six weeks after the Reserve Bank of Australia opted to keep the cash rate on hold for November.

Labour costs in Western Australia's mining industry remain high, despite commodity price falls and a slow down in the sector, the world's second biggest gold miner says.

Australian house prices have edged higher in recent months, but it's too early to say if the struggling sector is in recovery.

Industry, retailers and unions have questioned the central bank's decision to leave the cash rate unchanged following its monthly board meeting, when many market economists were predicting a furthe

Central Petroleum has signed a $190 million deal with oil and gas giant Total to explore for shale gas in central Australia.

Construction giant Leighton has signed a new $1.4 billion funding agreement and raised another $US500 million ($484 million) from an issue of notes.

On the day the Melbourne Cup runs 30 minutes after the reserve bank announces its interest rate decision, overseas travel figures are never going to make anyone sit up and take notice.

Treasury has costed three coalition policies and assessed their impact on businesses at the request of the federal government.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has kept the cash rate on hold for November, citing higher than expected inflation and signs of improvement in the global economy.

Engineering company Monadelphous Group has been awarded a $100 million contract to construct the coal handling plant for the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance Caval Ridge Mine Project.

Australia's live export industry says the controversial slaughter of 21,000 sheep in Pakistan is not an indication its animal welfare protections are failing.

Receivers have been appointed to troubled auto car parts maker Autodom Limited as efforts continue to minimise any disruption to vehicle production at Ford and Holden.

Australian stocks have opened flat in quiet trade as market players await a Melbourne Cup day interest rate decision from the central bank.

A US federal judge has thrown out a suit by Apple claiming that Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility is seeking unreasonably high licence fees for the use of patents on wireless technology.

US stocks have scored gains on the eve of the presidential vote, with President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney locked neck-and-neck in the race for the White House.

Gold mining giant Newmont has appointed a new head of Asia Pacific, downgraded its production outlook for the Boddington gold mine and deferred the expansion of its Tanami project, as it begins a g

The Australian dollar is lower as markets wait to see whether the Reserve Bank of Australia will cut interest rates tomorrow.

The Australian share market finished slightly higher as investors await the United States presidential election and a local interest rate decision tomorrow.

The price of petrol is tipped to fall by up to four cents a litre in the next fortnight, after a similar fall last week.

A "gold rush" type obsession with abalone could cost more lives, according to a fishing expert, as the search continues for a Malaysian national washed away while searching for the marine delicacy.

The big four banks have reaped a collective annual profit of $22.8 billion, the same as winning the Melbourne Cup more than 6,300 times over.

Treasurer Wayne Swan says the government will not change the goods and services tax because doing so would hit battlers hard.

Agribusiness and automotive interiors supplier Elders has appointed corporate advisor Greenhill & Co Australia to help the company with the sale process of its rural services business.

Northern Iron shares have plunged by more than 30 per cent after a would-be suitor withdrew its takeover offer for the company.

 A two year low in job advertisements data shows Australia's labour force is still under strain, and could prompt the central bank to cut rates at its meeting tomorrow.

A moderate rise in Australian monthly retail sales is unlikely to move the central bank's position on interest rates, economists say.

Hanlong Africa Mining has secured a fresh round of finance from a Chinese bank to fund its acquisition of Sundance Resources, the takeover target says.

The Australian stock market has opened mixed, with Westpac among the big early movers after reporting a fall in full year net profit.