AAP

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.

The Reserve Bank of Australia might still keep its finger off the interest rate button despite a private sector survey showing slower growth in consumer prices.

Westpac has become the second of the big four banks to post a fall in full year profit, with the tax implications of its takeover of St George causing a 15 per cent fall to $5.97 billion.

Virgin Australia's proposed takeover of Skywest and Tiger Airways Australia is a tricky issue for the regulators assessing the deal, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has warned that the debt-crippled country could be forced out of the euro if parliament fails to approve a new round of austerity measures needed for a lifeline

The controversial $550 million Perth Arena has the potential to become the city's equivalent to the Sydney Opera House, Premier Colin Barnett claims.

Chevron's agreement with the federal government to import 150 foreign workers for its Gorgon LNG project if it can't find enough locals has angered a union, which says Australia's labour shortage i

He may be a free man, but will Lloyd Rayney ever truly be free of the lingering suspicion that he murdered his estranged wife, which many in Perth believe?

The Australian share market finished flat despite positive leads from overseas and weakness in the banking sector.

Steelmaker Arrium faces a $26 million bill from the tax office linked to a sale and leaseback deal involving plant and equipment eight years ago.

The Reserve Bank of Australia's six-year Melbourne Cup streak is set to continue, economists predict.

A leading industry group has warned that Australia will need to raise taxes in the future to avoid the European-style problems of debt and deficits.

A federal coalition government would scrap both the carbon and mining taxes and therefore some of its own plans would have to be delayed, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.

Australia needs to prepare for the next mining boom by giving tax breaks to start-up resources companies, the head of the nation's stock exchange says.

Paladin Energy says its Kayelekera Mine operations in Malawi are not expected to be affected by planned protests over the company's sourcing of food from outside the country.

More than 400 Retail Adventures employees will lose their jobs after the discount store chain fell into administration.

Australian companies are feeling the squeeze from higher operating costs, but relatively weak product prices, economists say.

Qantas Airways chairman Leigh Clifford has tried to reassure the airline's shareholders about their lack of dividends and languishing shares.

The Australian market has opened higher, led by gains on Wall Street and higher commodity prices.

Peter Tinley, who was once touted as a future state Labor leader, has quit as an opposition spokesman after a company that his wife is linked to went into receivership.

Some buoyant data on consumer confidence and the manufacturing sector gave Wall Street a solid bump higher after Wednesday's flat reopening following the Hurricane Sandy shutdown.

Treasurer Wayne Swan says the latest jobless figures from Europe are a stark reminder of the difficult conditions in the global economy.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has been accused of ditching Liberal party values and sanctioning muckraking against Prime Minister Julia Gillard as Labor continues to seek the political upper hand a