AAP

US stocks slid Thursday as traders awaited a key speech by President Barack Obama to Congress on stimulating the economy and job growth.

Protesters opposing a multi-billion-dollar gas hub in the Kimberley have hit back at traditional owners who accused them of threatening behaviour and making racial slurs.

The Australian share market closed flat after disappointing jobs data prompted a selloff ahead of economic news from China and the US.

The federal government is ready to discuss the Fair Work Act with interested parties based on factual evidence and not "wild claims", jobs minister Chris Evans says.

Australia's unemployment rate rose to a 10-month high in August and could force the central bank to cut interest rates, economists say.

The Takeovers Panel has declined to conduct proceedings against Foster's Group after SABMiller, which is trying to buy Foster's, raised concerns about the brewer's full year results report.

Atlas Iron has declared its takeover offer for fellow iron ore miner FerrAus unconditional.

The Australian dollar was trading half a US cent higher, after Germany's top court ruled in favour of eurozone bailouts and following yesterday's better than expected local national accounts data.

US stocks jumped on Wednesday after a German court ruling helped clear the way for a eurozone bailout plan and the Federal Reserve said the US economy was still growing slowly.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is confident Telstra and the competition watchdog will resolve fears over the telco's structural separation plans.

Lithium miner Galaxy Resources has put electric-bicycle batteries into its customer orbit.

Intrepid Mines has rejected a media report suggesting the gold, copper and silver explorer is in merger talks with G-Resources.

Australian construction activity has fallen to its lowest level in almost two and a half years, largely due to a lack of new work and tender opportunities, a report shows.

Usually we have to wait two weeks to get the director's cut of the reasons for interest rate decisions, but this week we only had to wait only a day.

Western Australian cat owners could have their homes searched and their pets seized if they're found not to be sterilised, microchipped and registered under proposed laws, the state opposition says

Shares in Northern Minerals rose after the rare earths explorer reported high grade exploration results from its Browns Range project in the state's far north.

Employment growth is expected to remain soft in August after a volatile month on global financial markets hurt business and consumer confidence.

Premier Colin Barnett has told the state's lead fire agency to stop "bickering", labelling its response to the Perth Hills bushfire report as nothing more than "over-the-top and wild" accusations.

The Australian economy has returned to growth in the June quarter after suffering a downturn in the previous quarter because of the floods and cyclones over the summer, official figures show.

Wesfarmers' owned Coles supermarkets says it will source more cheese locally for its private label line in a deal expected to create 30 new jobs.

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens told a conference in Perth today it is a challenging time for the central bank, given patchy and uneven economic growth and uncertainties in Europe

The Australian dollar was lower this morning, as traders continue to worry about Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

Gold jumped to a record high on Tuesday after Switzerland pegged its currency to the euro, before closing down as investors took profits.

US stock markets slumped Tuesday amid fears that Europe's sovereign debt crisis was spinning out of control and concerns about the United States's own shaky economy.

Iron ore prices are set to dip next year after unprecedented stockpiling of the steel-making commodity by China, Westpac chief economist Bill Evans says.

The Australian share market ended a third straight trading session in the red after extending earlier losses in the day on fresh concerns about European sovereign debt.

Premier Colin Barnett says he understands why the NSW government wants to increase mining royalties to compensate for the impact of the carbon tax.

A serious mould outbreak at the trouble-plagued Perth Arena is threatening workers' health and will lead to a further blow-out in costs, the construction union says.