AAP

More Australians are failing to meet their mortgage repayments, new research shows.

The Australian sharemarket rose almost one per cent in the second day of gains, as markets recovered from last week's massive losses on hopes of a solution to Europe's debt crisis.

The Australian dollar was slightly firmer as investors wait for more details on how world finance officials plan to support Greece's debt-laden economy and save it from defaulting on its loans.

New home sales have stayed close to their lowest level in more than a decade, with Australians showing an unwillingness to buy amid global financial uncertainty.

Australia has jumped nearly 20 places to be among the top 10 countries with a reputation of being a good place for mining, a global survey has found.

The competition watchdog has cleared beverage giant SABMiller to buy local brewer Foster's for $10.7 billion, saying the takeover won't lessen competition for the supply of beer.

Fears of an inflationary wage breakout are being stoked outside Western Australia's booming resources sector, with a report unions are pushing to pay city labourers $137,000 a year.

The Australian share market opened slightly higher following a rally on global markets but is still vulnerable to shifting investor confidence ahead of a crucial vote on the next European bailout f

The Australian dollar rose following a second straight day of gains across global equity markets on expectations of an imminent solution to Europe's debt crisis.

US equities registered a second straight day of solid gains on Tuesday as traders took more optimistic stock of the eurozone debt crisis.

Australian shares rose more than three per cent, led by the banks and miners that brought it down on Monday.

Western Australia's unions, engineers and steel fabricators doubt they will see much benefit from the US energy giant Chevron's $29 billion Wheatstone gas project.

Australia's central bank should be considering an interest rate cut before the end of the year as a new survey indicates the manufacturing sector has sunk further into the doldrums, says an economi

The Australian share market has jumped higher and the dollar has bounced back above 98 US cents amid the helter-skelter ride on global financial markets, with investors now optimistic that Europe w

Laboratory operator Campbell Brothers has increased its first half profit forecasts due to better than expected trading.

Excessive government red tape is hurting the nation's productivity and stopping Australian companies from hiring more workers, a survey says.

Wesfarmers managing director and Fremantle Dockers board member Richard Goyder will join the AFL Commission, with two other members of the league's governing body to step down.

Commonwealth Bank has been rated the worst of the major home lenders, while the industry's smaller players remain the peoples' favourites.

Telstra will launch its 4G mobile network today.

Resources giant Rio Tinto has increased its stake in Canadian miner Ivanhoe Mines to 49 per cent.

The Australian share market opened more than two per cent higher this morning, recovering some of yesterday's losses when shares closed at a two-year low.

The Australian dollar has risen almost two US cents on renewed optimism that Europe may avoid a recession.

US stocks rallied sharply Monday as investors saw positive signs in European efforts to find a way to resolve the eurozone debt crisis.

The Australian dollar has hit a 10-month low as uncertainty grows whether Greece can get help to avoid a debt default and a global recession can be prevented.

Labor frontbenchers have rallied around the prime minister amid fresh speculation of a Kevin Rudd comeback and as the Greens made the case for Julia Gillard to see out this term of government.

The Australian share market fell more than one per cent to a two-year low, pulled down by investors selling out of miners and energy companies after commodity prices slumped.

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has renewed his calls for executives' salaries to be regulated to prevent "out of kilter" increases.

Production has started on Woodside Petroleum's Okha floating vessel that is expected to produce 30,000 barrels of oil a day.

The chief operations officer of the state's beleaguered fire agency has resigned just a week after the authority's new head took the reins.

Australian investors have taken heart after European finance leaders pledged to do whatever is needed to resolve the eurozone sovereign debt crisis and ensure financial stability.

Wage growth under enterprise bargaining agreements perked up in the first three months of 2011, particularly for public servants, government data shows.

Australian mortgage holders are creating bigger financial buffers for themselves as financial market turmoil gives them the jitters, a survey shows.