AAP

Traditional owners in favour of Woodside Petroleum's Browse gas hub say a $1.5 billion compensation deal will save lives and that they don't want former Greens leader Bob Brown speaking for them.

Gold miner Kingsgate Consolidated says it will take six months to turn around its underperforming Challenger gold mine.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has left the cash rate on hold at 3.5 per cent for the second meeting in a row, as expected.

The head of takeover target Integra Mining says a multi-million dollar deal with WA gold miner Silver Lake Resources should be finalised by the end of the year.

Australian shares opened stronger, buoyed by overnight leads and hopes the European Central Bank will take action soon to relieve the euro zone debt crisis.

Construction activity fell for a 26th consecutive month because of poor demand for work and subdued workloads.

Global construction company Leighton Holdings has announced a net profit after tax of $115 million for the six months to June 2012 and still expects it to reach $400 million to $450 million for the

Billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart has taken her fight for Fairfax to the struggling media empire's retail shareholders.

US stocks scored moderate gains Monday, extending Friday's sharp rally on hopes that the European Central Bank may soon take action to relieve the eurozone sovereign debt crisis.

The Australian dollar is more than half a US cent higher, following optimistic job figures from the US.At 1700 AEST, the local unit was trading at 105.60 US cents, up from 104.95 cents.

Australian business confidence has posted a turnaround, with expectations reaching levels not seen for 10 years, according to a private study.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the federal government is waging a "jihad" against outspoken mining magnates and is trying to muzzle its critics in the media.

The Australian share market started the week strongly, closing up by more than one per cent on robust overseas leads, following better than expected US jobs data.

Ultra Tune Australia has been fined more than $8,500 for underpaying a Filipino mechanic in Perth.

Traditional owners will meet former Greens leader Bob Brown in a bid to sway opposition to Woodside Petroleum's proposed $30 billion Kimberley gas hub.

Investment firm Argo Investments says global equity markets are unlikely to show any meaningful recovery in the short term but, in the long term, the Australian market represented relatively good v

Harvey Norman boss Gerry Harvey has blamed slashing prices on televisions and computers for an expected 40 per cent drop in full year profit.

Interest rate cuts in recent months have failed to lift sentiment in the business sector, with a new survey showing conditions went backwards in the second quarter.

Job advertisements have recorded a fourth consecutive month of falls, as the Australian job market appears to be softening.

Fortescue Metals has taken on higher than expected debt to fund its massive iron ore expansion plans, announcing $US1.5 billion ($A1.4 billion) in new funding.

Consumer prices rose only slightly in July, despite the start of the carbon tax at the beginning of the month.

The Australian share market has opened higher on renewed hopes that the US Federal Reserve would announce stimulus measures at its next meeting.

The Australian dollar has risen three-quarters of a US cent with better than expected jobs figures giving investors reason to be optimistic about the US economy and Spain agreeing to austerity meas

A surge in hiring last month got a big welcome on Wall Street on Friday.

The Australian dollar is higher despite the European Central Bank failing to take decisive action on the euro zone debt crisis.

Investors dumped higher risk mining stocks, sending the Australian share market down than one per cent today.

The responsible entity for takeover target Hastings Diversified Utilities Fund has stuck by its recommendation that securityholders accept an offer from Pipeline Partners Australia (PPA).

The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to keep the official interest rate at 3.5 per cent over the next couple of months, following the rate cuts in May and June.

Short-term visitors rose more than departing residents in June, but the flood of travellers out of the country is still overwhelming the flow of visitors.

The federal opposition insists it is not against foreign investment, despite proposing a plan to toughen rules for international investors looking to buy Australian agricultural land.

Oil Search's loading operations in Papua New Guinea remain suspended after an oil spill that occurred more than a week ago.