AAP

Australia's share market turned around mid-session and followed Asian markets higher to record its biggest gain in almost two weeks.

Clive Palmer's Mineralogy and Woodside Petroleum were among the biggest political donors last year, having contributed a combined $6.2 million to federal parties.

The chief executives of ExxonMobil Corp and Chevron Corp reportedly held preliminary talks in early 2020 to explore combining the two largest US oil producers.

Almost $2 billion will be spent equipping hospitals and other health centres to administer coronavirus vaccines.

Western Australians have completed their first night of lockdown, triggered after a hotel quarantine security guard attended more than a dozen venues while infected with COVID-19.

Australia's share market has experienced the ripple effect of the US GameStop controversy, closing lower for a third consecutive day as US hedge funds sold stock to recover huge losses.

The chair of Australia's corporate regulator has been cleared of misconduct after an expenses investigation, but will still resign.

Most Australian farmers are set for a profitable year with the rebound from drought set to outweigh coronavirus and trade tensions with China.

Australians stranded in Europe are facing yet another hurdle to return home after Emirates suspended outbound flights from the United Kingdom.

Google's power over the multi-billion-dollar online world of advertising is front and centre of a new consumer watchdog report.

UPDATED: Commonwealth Bank boss Matt Comyn expects scrutiny and regulatory concerns to increase for buy now, pay later providers.

Australia's share market had its biggest loss since September, but an investment analyst believed the decline could be good for investors.

Virgin Australia has confirmed 350 corporate and head office staff will depart in coming months as its major restructure draws to a close.

Coronavirus vaccine giants Pfizer and AstraZeneca will face a grilling from politicians hunting answers about Australia's immunisation effort.

Investors had their biggest loss on the share market in more than a week, but a modest rise in inflation indicated conditions should remain favourable for some time.

The economic alarm has again been sounded over climate inaction, with an environmental group warning the cost of extreme weather has more than doubled over the last 50 years.

The Western Australian Liberals are refusing to commit to having their policies costed by Treasury as potentially record numbers of people prepare to cast an early vote.

The IMF has upgraded its global economic growth forecast for this year, but admits that exceptional uncertainty remains.

Business conditions have risen to their highest levels in two years, suggesting strong momentum in Australia's economic recovery.

Australia will pledge $1.5 billion over five years to help build a more climate-resilient world and set up a new agency to deal with disaster resilience and risk reduction.

The diplomatic row between Australian and China rolls on, but new figures show trade between the two countries has not been totally throttled by the war of words.

Australia's share market has closed a little higher as investors favoured consumer and technology stocks, expected to do well in next month's earnings reports.

Australia has put a stop to the New Zealand travel bubble for 72 hours after a South African variant of COVID-19 was detected in a woman after 14 days of isolation.

The Western Australian government has blamed spiralling debt under the previous administration for its failure to house more vulnerable people.

The federal government is boosting Australia's maritime security with a $1 billion development of advanced guided weapons.

The Pfizer coronavirus vaccine has been provisionally approved for use in Australia with the first jabs set for late next month.

Australia's share market has closed lower but provided gains for the week, with an analyst tipping that a good February earnings season could see the ASX return to the lofty 7000-points range.

Western Australia will reopen its borders to NSW and Queensland from Monday but travellers will still be required to self-isolate for 14 days and get a COVID-19 test.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has rejected a proposal to extend JobKeeper payments for the hard-hit hospitality industry.

Cricket Australia will stand firm on the decision to drop the term "Australia Day", adamant they must embrace hard conversations despite criticism from Scott Morrison.

Australia's share market has closed higher and at 11-month highs, as an improved unemployment rate supported investor optimism on day one of Joe Biden's US presidency.

Job numbers in WA were steady in December, but unemployment fell 0.2 percentage points to be 6.2 per cent.