AAP

Westpac will review its advertising of geared investment strategies after the corporate watchdog took issue with the bank's "stress free" tag line on some products.

Industrial services company Spotless Group has received an increased takeover bid from private equity group Pacific Equity Partners (PEP).

The Australian stock market has opened more than 2.5 per cent higher with resources and banking among the best performers in response to a positive session on Wall Street.

The Australian dollar opened strongly this morning following announcement of a plan by the world's central banks to boost liquidity in the shadow of the eurozone debt crisis.

US stocks have soared by four per cent after major central banks joined hands to ensure commercial banks would not be undermined by market worries over the eurozone crisis.

Port Authorities have warned that further industrial action at Fremantle Port could lead to lasting ill-effects on the national economy.

A moratorium has been recommended for all future coal seam gas (CSG) projects until further research is carried out and the approval process tightened to cover such issues as how salt will be dispo

Australian shares closed marginally higher after fresh domestic economic data boosted sentiment, while there was opportunistic buying in industrial stocks.

The nation's peak business group has called on the federal coalition to work with the minority Labor government to head off "retrograde" Greens policies on industrial relations.

Premier Colin Barnett has denied a senior public servant is taking the fall for Environment Minister Bill Marmion over the Margaret River bushfire.

Shares in Aquila Resources rose after the coal miner received conditional approval from the federal government for its first ever iron ore mine.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he will congratulate Wayne Swan if the federal treasurer delivers his promised budget surplus.But only after he falls over with surprise.

The future of shopping centre owner Centro remains uncertain, with no sign of when a court will deliver its verdict on the company's restructure plans.

Capital expenditure figures point to a strong economy boosted by the mining sector, economists say.

The federal coalition has warned Labor could revisit the possibility of a live export ban, saying it should send a shiver through every Australian cattle producer.

Australia's largest rare earths miner Lynas Corporation says prices for rare earths have fallen in recent months, which is a healthy development for the industry.

BHP Billiton could sell some or all of its Canadian diamond mining interests, if that's what a review of the operations recommends.

Treasurer Wayne Swan is defending the growth forecasts in the federal government's mid-year budget review despite his own warnings of dark clouds looming overseas.

The Australian share market has opened weaker with falls in the resources and banking sectors.

The Australian dollar continues to rise - and is now above parity, as investors look to strong US data.

American Airlines' filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection tempered upward momentum in US markets on Tuesday, with the major indexes finishing above the neutral line.

The Australian dollar was more than a full US cent higher today, bouncing from its intraday lows as Asian equities and US equity futures rose.

Thousands of workers have marched through central Perth threatening to picket US oil and gas giant Chevron until it pledges to provide more local jobs and training. (Click through for video)

Prime Minister Julia Gillard will chair the first meeting of a new manufacturing task force tomorrow, as new figures indicate the dire state of the sector.

Overcrowding and privatisation of Western Australian jails is costing taxpayers money and endangering prison staff, according to unions.

Australian shares rose one per cent in the second consecutive day of gains as financial and real estate companies led the market higher.

Environment Minister Bill Marmion says he would be concerned if a manager who approved a prescribed burn that became a destructive bushfire was not stood aside.

Harvey Norman isn't expecting a wonderful Christmas season after consumer electronics sales copped a hiding in 2011.

AngloGold Ashanti has reported a substantial increase in the gold resource estimate for its Tropicana project, northeast of Kalgoorlie.

Australia is regarded as one of the world's safest borrowers, after a global ratings agency upgraded the country to the highest possible rating for its overseas borrowings.

Investment in Australia's mining industry rose by 34 per cent to record levels in the six months to October, new data shows.

The state government has reported a $325 million operating surplus for the first quarter of the 2011-12 financial year.