Government

World oil prices dropped on Tuesday after Monday's one-off gain as supply forces continued to dominate the market.

A parliamentary committee report on fracking in Western Australia has found that there is misinformation in the public debate on the issue and made 12 recommendations to the state government for regulating the industry.

The share market has closed more than 2 per cent higher after Australia's biggest bank and the country's central bank gave upbeat assessments on the national economy.

Henderson-based engineering firm Civmec has moved to gain a foothold in the east coast defence shipbuilding industry by striking an agreement to purchase the projects division of private company Forgacs Engineering.

The state government has introduced a number of red tape cuts expected to save Western Australians about $150 million over the next five years.

The Australian share market has opened higher following a strong lead from the US and Europe, with investors' fears fading following the Paris terror attacks.

Voters back GST rise as long as they get compensation

The Australian dollar back below 71 US cents, after financial markets sentiment turned sour following the fatal attacks in Paris.

Big gains by petroleum-linked equities helped lift US stocks in the first session after the terror attacks in Paris late on Friday.

Gold has pared gains, after an initial flow of safe-haven buying following the attacks in Paris slowed down and investors' focus returned to expectations for the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in December.

Crude prices pushed higher after US-led coalition jets targeted the Islamic State group's oil operations in retaliation following the deadly attacks on Paris.

The Australian share market has closed almost 1 per cent lower as cautious investors mull the possible fallout from the deadly terror attacks in Paris.

Australian shares have slumped in early trade, opening more than one per cent lower after the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris.

Asciano $9 billion deal sitting on a knife-edge

The Australian dollar is slightly lower, weighed down by some weak US retail sales data and nervousness over the terrorist attacks in Paris.

Oil dived to two-month lows after the International Energy Agency said commercial crude stockpiles in developed nations had risen to a record high three billion barrels.

Gold has fallen back towards near six-year lows, on expectations the Federal Reserve is set to raise US interest rates in December for the first time in nearly a decade.

Personal bankruptcies in Western Australia were almost 23 per cent higher in the September quarter than in the same period last year, while business related personal bankruptcies were up 54.3 per cent.

The Australian share market has suffered another steep fall on more Chinese growth concerns and US rate hike talk.

Low commodity prices and falls in major overseas markets have caused the Australian share market to open almost two per cent lower.

BHP falls erase China boom gains

The Australian dollar has eased off its highs gained following a startlingly strong jobs report.

Wall Street has been hit by a broad sell-off, dragged lower by downbeat views of the world economy and US rate rise concerns.

Gold has fallen to its lowest level since early 2010, under pressure from expectations the US Federal Reserve is on track to raise interest rates in December for the first time in nearly a decade.

Oil prices have sunk after the US government reported a big jump in US crude-oil inventories, reinforcing worries about the long-running global oversupply.

A Labor rival to Matt Keogh's bid to win preselection for the new West Australian federal seat of Burt has pulled out.

A rift is developing between the Western Australian Nationals leader and the Liberal premier over fly-in, fly-out (Fifo) worker camps, with speculation mounting it could end their alliance.

'Tis the season to be gloomy, that much we know from following financial markets; but an early nominee for the Dr Gloomy prize of the season goes to former ANZ Bank chief economist, Saul Eslake, who said earlier this week that the China-driven mining boom was “the last in human history”.

Unemployment has hit its highest level in Western Australia in more than a decade, at 6.4 per cent, despite the state's employment reaching its highest level on record, in trend terms.

The Australian share market has opened lower.

Top Fortescue investor in corruption probe

The Australian dollar is slightly lower, weighed down by firming expectations of a US interest rate rise in December.