AAP

The Australian dollar and local shares have had another tough week on fears that Europe and the US will drag the global economy into recession.

So, just what did everyone expect policymakers to say about the economic outlook?Aside from the blindingly obvious.The world's share markets took a battering this week.

Australia's largest rare earths miner Lynas Corporation has posted a 33 per cent widening in its full-year loss following a year blighted by controversy.

A bird strike has forced a Qantas flight heading from Perth to Melbourne to turn back soon after take-off.

Fashion brand owner Just Group will stop selling sandblasted jeans after aid agency Oxfam threatened to complain to the consumer watchdog.

Wireless telecommunications services continue to grow, but not at the expense of fixed-line broadband, the competition watchdog says.

Shares in Australian stock exchange-listed Blackgold International Holdings rose after the Chinese coal producer acquired the holder of a coal mine in Chongqing municipal province in China.

The Department of Treasury says current modelling of the government's planned carbon tax is not robust enough to assess the impact on regional areas.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has affirmed Australia's long-term AAA credit rating due to the country's economic resilience, public policy stability and sound financial sector.

Despite months of bickering, joint venture partners Auzex Resources and GGG Resources now insist they are getting along and that their new gold company, Bullabulling Gold can proceed.

Japan's Fukushima accident six months ago provoked major worries worldwide about nuclear power, but now that the dust has settled it is clear that atomic energy still has a rosy future.

Australian households are continuing to shun spending and pay down debt as worries about the global financial system grows, a central bank report says.

Australia's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has told the United Nations the world's leaders need to look beyond the next election cycle and take the measures necessary to rebuild sustainable economic g

US stocks suffered a brutal sell-off Thursday fuelled by the Federal Reserve's stark warning about the health of the US economy.

The Australian dollar has fallen sharply to 10-month lows, as concerns over the state of the US economy cause a massive sell-off on global markets.

The Australian dollar closed below parity with the greenback on Thursday afternoon, on concerns that the US Federal Reserve was not doing enough to stimulate America's ailing economy.

The salary of Australia's Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens rose by 3.7 per cent in the last financial year, in line with the average wage growth for public servants.

The Australian share market closed more than 2.6 per cent lower to its weakest close in more than two years, amid global uncertainty following big falls on Wall Street over a downgraded economic ou

The federal opposition has continued its attack on Treasurer Wayne Swan, a day after opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey was criticised for attacking his Euromoney's Finance Minister of the Ye

Aboriginal MP Carol Martin says she'll sue the people who put out newsletters labelling her a "coconut", saying the racial slur was the worst ever directed at her.

More than 1,300 Qantas passengers will be affected by a fresh round of industrial action, the airline says.

Australia's largest brick and tile maker, Brickworks, says it has axed 17 per cent of its workforce and will close two more factories before Christmas due to the depressed housing market.

A leading business lobby group intends pushing the coalition to revive a policy of individual employment contracts in the run-up to the next election.

Miners' unions are frustrated with bosses crying poor when the latest BRW young rich list names mining magnates among the wealthiest in the country.

Perth-based Shell senior executive Ann Pickard is to join the board of Westpac Banking Corporation.

Lynas Corporation has flagged a 30 per cent jump in full year pre-tax loss due to higher operating costs at its Mt Weld rare earths mine in Western Australia as production is ramped up.

The Australian dollar has briefly dipped below parity with the US dollar.

Foster's suitor SABMiller is likely to introduce more international beer brands into the Australian market, which could result in the sector looking very different in 10 years, says a market analys

The coalition will continue to shun a push by business lobby groups to revive statutory individual employment contracts.

Many retailers are struggling because households are saving more and when they do spend, the money goes on services rather than goods, a senior reserve bank official says.