AAP

Oil and gas company Santos has maintained its full year forecasts and achieved record quarterly sales revenue due to a steep increase in the gas price.

The federal Treasury anticipates sluggish global economic growth outlook for the next 12 to 18 months, a Senate hearing has been told.

An improvement in land sales during the three months to June 30 suggest that Australia's housing sector could be on the path to recovery.

 India's leader has personally praised Prime Minister Julia Gillard for her government's revised stance on uranium sales and has declared a "new chapter" in the bilateral relationship.

The Australian Greens have launched a campaign to protect the nation's natural icons they say are under threat from mining companies and the government.

Woolworths' first quarter sales have increased by 4.3 per cent to more than $15 billion.

The Australian market opened almost one per cent higher as rising iron ore prices led to strong opening gains for the mining giants.

The fate of thousands of Australian sheep hangs in the balance, with a Pakistani court deferring a decision on whether or not to cull them.

US stocks have fought off early selling pressure linked to disappointing quarterly results from IBM and Intel to close broadly higher, extending two days of solid gains.

The Australian dollar rose past 103 US cents for the first time in two weeks, as Asian markets were buoyed by good news from Europe and the US.

Rupert Murdoch has survived a second shareholder push to oust him as News Corp's chairman, with the media mogul painting a rosy picture of the company's recent achievements and future under his gui

 The Australian share market has climbed to its highest closing level since July 2011 as investors took heart from stronger US markets and fresh hopes that debt-ridden Spain will ask for some

Nine Entertainment has avoided administration, with its lenders taking control of the company after reaching a deal over its $3.3 billion debt.

Australian households have cut spending, paid down debt and are feeling more comfortable about their finances.

Australia should embark on a consistent policy of engaging with India instead of trying to fix its patchy relationship through uranium sales, the Australian Greens say.

Australia's largest independent music retailer, Allans Billy Hyde, will close with the loss of 513 jobs after the failure to find a buyer for the struggling business.

Australia's economy is growing at a slower-than-normal pace, but is expected to pick up over the next six to nine months.

Ten Network is in danger of having to conduct its second capital raising in less than six months, after the $145 million sale of its outdoor advertising business hit a hurdle.

Property developer Stockland says earnings will fall by at least 10 per cent in the 2012/13 financial year because of the severely weakened housing market.

BHP Billiton remains bullish about the demand for iron ore, despite predicting that Chinese steel consumption will slow.

Australian shares opened higher on fresh hopes that Spain would formally ask the European Central Bank for a bailout.

Business conditions remained positive in September but softer than six months earlier, a survey of mid-sized firms has found.

US markets registered their best gains so far this month on good earnings reports from Mattel, Coca-Cola and Johnson & Johnson, as Citigroup rose 1.6 per cent after the shock resignation of its

The Australian dollar is almost half a US cent higher, following a strong lead from Asian stock markets.

The Nine Network has reportedly staved off administration, with lenders agreeing on a debt-for-equity deal where two US hedge funds and investment bank Goldman Sachs will take a stake in the broadc

Police Minister Liza Harvey says $26.5 million for the force's annual budget has been clawed back, despite earlier saying it was "pointless" fighting public sector cuts.

The Australian share market has closed slightly higher after easing back from an earlier peak, with investors encouraged by a positive lead from United States markets and prospects of another cut t

The world's second largest iron ore miner Rio Tinto increased iron ore production by five per cent in the September quarter to 67 million tonnes.

An attempt by Nigerian fraudsters to sell a Perth home has been thwarted by a real estate agent.

Perseus Mining has continued to prosper in the notoriously risky West African sector, passing the 12-month mark since it started production at its gold mine in Ghana.

Gina Rinehart's $9.5 billion Roy Hill project is yet to secure its funding as its target date for the start of construction nears.

The Colin Barnett-led state government looks set to pick up seats in the March election, which could end the Liberal-National party coalition formed in 2008, a political commentator says.