AAP

About 50 Aboriginal rights activists have marched on Western Australia's parliament to demand a compensation deal equal to five per cent of the annual gross domestic product of the state'

The Australian dollar has drifted lower, as the market awaits more data to drive it.At 1700 AEDT, the local currency was trading at 104.35 US cents, down from 105.30 cents yesterday.

Resources giant Rio Tinto's decision to scrap plans for a $US2 billion ($A1.92 billion) aluminium smelter in Malaysia has been blamed in part on China over-supplying the market.

The Australian share market rallied to a near five-month high after the central bank said global market sentiment had improved since late December.

Banks are desperate to keep lending despite a record number of Australians being "under water" on their mortgages and the Reserve Bank of Australia's warning against chasing unrealistic profits.

Australia's gas fields should be harnessed for domestic consumption to keep the nation's manufacturing sector competitive, an adviser to the US President says.

Large numbers of short-term mining industry workers in the Pilbara region are causing havoc in some communities, leading to fights in overcrowded taverns, public urination and more rubbish on

Premier Colin Barnett has slammed the federal government over his state's share of GST revenues, saying Western Australia has "hit the bottom of the barrel" and must slash services becaus

Oklo Resources says the military coup in Mali is not expected to affect the gold explorer as it has been asked by the new administration to continue operations.

Premier Colin Barnett says he has no objection to more American nuclear submarine visits to Perth's Garden Island naval base if US-Australian defence co-operation is boosted.

Treasurer Wayne Swan won't reveal if the federal budget will include specific measures for the non-mining states, but says the government is committed to spreading Australia's mining wealth across

The global financial market environment is on a more stable footing and Australian banks are in a good position to address any future turmoil, the Reserve Bank of Australia says.

Cocos Islands residents have never been consulted about basing American surveillance drones on the Australian territory and were recently assured no military base would be set up there, a local bus

The Australian share market has opened lower, following a weak lead from US markets overnight.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr has urged Chinese telco giant Huawei to push ahead with expansion in Australia despite being banned from taking part in tenders for work on the national broadband network.

US stocks closed lower amid profit taking after Monday's strong surge and a slip in consumer confidence.

The Australian share market closed higher today, with gains across most sectors after strong leads from the United States.

Talks for the sale of liquefied natural gas from the $29 billion Wheatstone project in Western Australia are under way, operator Chevron says.

Land developer Stockland has cut its full year earnings guidance and blamed high interest rates and wet weather for the slowing of property sales.

The mad dash of 96FM from sixth to second place in the Perth radio market has been short-lived.

A compensation fund for asbestos disease victims will receive a much needed cash injection after a legal victory by James Hardie.

The major banks' decisions to raise lending rates are only partly influenced by their own funding cost rises, the central bank says.

Gold mining giant AngloGold Ashanti says it will spend more than $US800 million on its Australian projects in the next two to three years.

Australia trains fewer than half the engineers it needs and the skills shortage is preventing some construction projects going ahead, the profession's peak body says.

Property owner Charter Hall Group has paid $61.5 million for a 50 per cent stake in a Perth distribution centre leased by grocery wholesaler Metcash.

Leighton Holdings shares are in a trading halt as the construction company considers potential changes to its financial guidance.

The Australian share market has followed offshore markets higher in opening trade, with investors encouraged by signs from US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke that the US would keep interest r

The Australian dollar has risen almost one cent and pushed past 105 US cents for the first time in six days following indications from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that the US would keep i

US stocks have surged following gains on European markets and after Ben Bernanke said a still-weak job market merited the Federal Reserve keeping easy money policy in place.

The Australian dollar was higher amid quiet trading and ahead of potential market-moving economic data from the US and Europe.

Arafura Resources expects to convert a rare earths sales deal with Germany's ThyssenKrupp into a formal agreement and expand the intended customer base in Europe.

Petrol prices hit a three year high last week as re-sellers factored in potential threats to oil supplies in the Middle East, new figures show.