AAP

The first major step towards national work safety laws has been passed by federal parliament's lower house.

Western Areas has rejected speculation it may buy Kagara Ltd's Lounge Lizard nickel mine in Western Australia, despite the asset lying within Western Areas' main project area.

The Australian dollar has gained ground after the release of better than expected Australian employment figures.

A Sumatran orangutan born and bred at Perth Zoo will be released into a protected rainforest in Indonesia to help re-establish a population of the endangered species in the wild.

Apple has won a Federal Court battle to halt rival Samsung from selling its latest computer tablet, the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Qantas has announced it is grounding five aircraft and cutting up to 100 domestic flights a week as a result of ongoing industrial action.

Regulators and governments can help avoid financial market meltdowns sparked by credit booms like the global financial crisis in 2008, an Australian central bank official says.

The competition watchdog has indicated it will clear Virgin Australia's partnership with Singapore Airlines, saying the deal will benefit consumers.

The Australian dollar rose to three-week highs overnight as approval of a European bailout fund looks more likely and after some negative comments about the US economy by its central bank.

US stocks posted solid gains Wednesday as investors took heart from signs of progress in Europe in dealing with the eurozone debt crisis.

The international economy may be going through its toughest times since the depths of the global financial crisis, but new research suggests Australia will enjoy a bumper trade performance over the

Julia Gillard's carbon pricing legislation is music to the ears of Matt Birney's Carbon Conscious, which has 190 million reasons to smile - and it's all about hot air.

Flight cancellations and big delays are expected across Australia when disgruntled Qantas employees and customs officials walk off the job over protracted pay disputes.

The Reserve Bank of Australia says it's still not fully clear what impact high frequency (HFT) trading is having on the currency market.

Consumer confidence rose slightly this month but is still well below the levels at the same time last year.

Consumer electronics chain JB Hi-Fi remains optimistic that sales will be strong this Christmas despite a fall in like-for-like revenue in the three months to September.

The Australian share market finished lower, pulling back from a week-long rally, but made up some of its earlier losses by the close.

Former Australian Test and one-day batsman Graeme Wood has resigned from his role as the WACA's chief executive officer to take up a position as state manager of Treasury Wine Estates.

Greens leader Bob Brown says the minor party was right to block Labor's then prime minister Kevin Rudd's emissions trading scheme (ETS) because Julia Gillard's carbon tax is "so much better".

Mining giant BHP Billiton has approved $US1.2 billion in pre-commitment capital for the first phase of the Olympic Dam mine expansion in South Australia.

Junior coking coal explorer Aspire Mining has raised $32.8 million via a discounted placement of new shares to fund exploration at its Ovoot project in Mongolia.

The federal government's controversial carbon tax will not work or deliver the benefits its proponents hope it will, Premier Colin Barnett says.

Fortescue Metals Group has increased its iron ore reserves at the Nyidinghu deposit by 980 million tonnes.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and former Labor leader Kevin Rudd embraced on the floor of parliament after the House of Representatives passed the government's controversial carbon tax.

Energy Resources Australia (ERA) plans to raise $500 million with the issue of new shares to fund expansion plans.

Conservation and climate groups have welcomed the passage of the federal government's carbon tax bills through the lower house and urged their speedy progress through the Senate and into law.

The Australian dollar fell almost a quarter of a US cent after Slovakia rejected changes to the Eurozone's financial rescue fund.

US stocks drifted to a mixed finish Tuesday ahead of the start of company earnings season and a key vote in Slovakia that could decide the eurozone's rescue fund amid a sovereign debt crisis.

Rare earths explorer Greenland Minerals and Energy says it has made a major technical breakthrough at its flagship Kvanefjeld multi-element project in Greenland.