AAP

The Australian dollar has continued to climb higher, on positive commentary from the euro zone and China.

The Australian share market continued its second consecutive day of recovery from last week's carnage, driven by overnight offshore leads.

The federal government has rubbished an opposition claim that councils haven't been given enough time to prepare for the impact of the carbon tax on their landfill sites.

Leighton Holdings' board has met with angry shareholders at the company's annual general meeting as they were forced to explain recent downgrading of their profit forecasts.

An eighth man has been charged over a kickback scandal at City of Stirling council.

The dispute between unions and miner BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) at seven central Queensland mines could escalate.

GrainCorp expects another large national harvest after a bumper crop helped lift first half profit by more than 50 per cent and upgraded its full year profit forecast.

Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson hopes more Australian mining companies will set up operations in Latin America.

Port Hedland mayor Kelly Howlett has been selected by the state Labor Party to take on Nationals leader Brendon Grylls at the state election in March.

Qantas Airways is splitting its international and domestic operations into two separate businesses from July.

Australian stocks have opened higher, as market players took their cues from a positive night on Wall Street.

The domestic economy might be still chugging along but small business is missing out on investment opportunities as they worry about the wider global outlook.

The Australian dollar has headed back above 99.00 US cents amid optimism that a new approach to the euro zone government debt crisis will work.

US shares have racked up strong gains with the Nasdaq adding nearly 2.5 per cent helped by an Apple surge, but Facebook shares flipped below their IPO price on their first full day of trading.

Agribusiness and automotive interiors supplier Elders has returned to profitability, boosted by a large tax win.

Industrial emissions are already threatening Western Australia's rock art-rich Burrup Peninsula, where a new $US800 million ($A815.87 million) ammonium nitrate plant will be built, Greens

Building products maker James Hardie fears Australia's soft housing market will be a drag on the company's earnings this year.

The Australian dollar has rebounded to finish back above US98 cents after its recent big falls to the lowest levels in six months.

Australian stocks closed higher, driven by a rebound in resource and finance stocks, as world leaders reaffirmed they wanted beleaguered Greece to remain in the euro zone.

Anti-gas hub protesters have allowed a Woodside Petroleum convoy to pass without incident in the Kimberley, as about 30 police stood guard.

Laboratory group Campbell Brothers' full year profit is up 68 per cent and the company expects more growth in the year ahead, on the back of its strong-performing minerals testing division.

Qantas Airways will axe 500 jobs as it restructures its heavy aircraft maintenance and engineering operations in Queensland and Victoria.

Trade Minister Craig Emerson is to sign a free trade agreement with Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

The state's environmental watchdog has backed Toro Energy's plan to construct its Wiluna uranium mine in the Mid West.

Disgraced former Firepower boss Tim Johnston is believed to have squirrelled away millions of dollars offshore despite being declared bankrupt after the company's fuel pill scandal.

The Australian share market has started strongly after the 11th worst week on record last week.

Retail spending rose for the ninth straight month in April but it is unclear whether the outlook is favourable.

A dull debut for Facebook, one of the most heavily anticipated public offerings in years, crowned another down week for United States markets as eurozone instability kept fear levels high among inv

The Australian dollar has plunged to its lowest level in almost six months as concern deepens about the euro zone debt crisis.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says people can have confidence in the Australian economy, as other countries fight high levels of unemployment.

Credit markets are already closing as the euro zone debt crisis continues, ANZ chief executive Mike Smith says.