AAP

Fairfax Media, which has been battling mining billionaire Gina Rinehart over board representation, has appointed Hungry Jack's founder and Rinehart ally Jack Cowin as an independent director.

The Australian sharemarket has opened more than one per cent higher following positive leads from overseas and a rebound in the local resources sector.

One of the world's biggest energy companies says Australia's skills shortage is worrying and the government needs to do more to address it.

US stocks have climbed for a second straight day amid upbeat earnings reports and after a Federal Reserve report said the economy continued to grow, at least at a modest pace.

The Australian dollar nudged higher today as currency traders remained optimistic that there will be no official interest rate cuts in the near future.

The central bank may be content to sit on the sidelines and not rush in with any further interest rate cuts for now, but newly released housing data is a stark reminder that not all sections of the

 The Australian share market closed lower after being dragged down by risk averse investors abandoning resources stocks.

 Anti-uranium protesters will make the "symbolic gesture" of bashing a bull pinata, representing Toro Energy, outside a uranium conference while the firm's chief is addressing delegates.

Treasurer Wayne Swan is tipped to lose his job in the first betting market for key seats in the 2013 federal election.

Supermarket private label product sales have grown by an enormous 85 per cent in the past five years and will account for a quarter of the $86 billion Australians spend on groceries in the next yea

Domestic labour will be favoured in the hunt for more than 5000 workers for Chevron's $US29 billion ($28. billion) Wheatstone gas project, the state government says.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has highlighted the potential for the Kimberley region to become the food bowl of Asia on the final leg of a three-day media blitz in the state.

Australian economic conditions are at their strongest in 10 months and are expected to improve as the central bank further stimulates the economy.

BHP Billiton is expected to face a challenging few months as risk-averse investors abandon the stock despite positive production numbers.

The Australian sharemarket has held on to Tuesday's gains after Wall Street closed higher overnight.

The federal government says thousands and not hundreds of jobs could have been lost if it had not provided financial support to Ford earlier in the year.

The Australian dollar has reached a six-week high on commentary from the US central bank.

US stocks have closed higher after Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke gave a gloomy assessment of the economy to Congress and said the Fed would act if the situation gets worse.

More Aussie workers say they feel dissatisfied with their jobs and are less trusting of their employers than during the global financial crisis.

The Australian dollar rose to its highest level in almost two weeks after the Reserve Bank of Australia showed some optimism about the economic outlook.

Australia's largest gold producer Newcrest has a new executive general manager for projects, the company announced.

The Australian share market has closed higher, boosted by commentary from the nation's central bank that there were recent positive signs for the Australian economy.

Rupert Murdoch's group of Australian media companies have won a long-running battle with the Australian Taxation Office over more than $2 billion in tax deductions.

Former Greens senator Bob Brown has traded in his political hat for a pair of sea legs by joining the crew of the Sea Shepherd for an anti-gas hub campaign.

Anti-nuclear activists say six people have been arrested during protest action at the Olympic Dam uranium and copper mine in South Australia's north.

When the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia met on July 3, its members saw no case to cut the cash rate again and gave no hint that a cut was in the pipeline.

The carbon tax is not popular but Australians are warming to it, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.

Treasurer Wayne Swan has thrown his support behind Prime Minister Julia Gillard amid renewed leadership speculation.

Rio Tinto has awarded a $317 million contract to build its driverless high tech train that will haul iron ore to port to Ansaldo STS Australia.

The federal government won't be handing over more cash to prop up the car industry, despite Ford Australia downgrading production and axing 440 jobs.

Fortescue Metals Group says its exports will continue to grow, despite lower iron ore prices and global jitters about a slowdown in China.