AAP

Leighton Holdings insists that its portfolio of projects is performing well despite its two big ticket developments costing the construction giant $254 million in pre-tax earnings.

The Senate has remembered Judith Adams for her bravery and stoicism during a long battle with cancer.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia is cutting interest rates on its one- and three-year fixed home loans by up to 0.34 percentage point.

Mineral sands miner Iluka says it will cut its annual production of zircon in 2012 because the global economic outlook remains unclear.

 Australia's trade deficit widened in March after flooding and industrial action held back coal exports, economists say.

Australian shares opened slightly higher after gains for European stocks when their markets had a change of heart about the election of France's first Socialist president in nearly two decades.

The price of oil has dropped to its lowest level of the year after elections in Europe created uncertainty over the region's plan for recovery.

US stocks have closed mixed, showing little impact from the weekend votes in France and Greece which cast doubt on the path of financial reform across the troubled eurozone.

The Australian dollar has fallen more than one US cent after a negative global reaction to disappointing US employment data and European election results dragged stock markets lower.

Orica's new boss has come out swinging, saying the company is riding high on the mining boom despite a horror year from a public relations perspective.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia is the latest major lender to announce job cuts, with about 100 positions to be axed.

A high-profile anti-whaling and environmental activist has been given a suspended jail term for bursting into the offices of Western Australia's Forest Products Commission (FPC) and throw

Holden says its car making operations in Australia are viable and sustainable but it doesn't expect to grow imports while the dollar remains high.

Job advertisements posted a sharp fall in April after three consecutive months of rises, a private survey shows.

Australian residential building approvals rose 7.4 per cent to 11,501 units in March, while retail spending rose 0.9 per cent, official figures show.

Rio Tinto has named its nominees to the board of minerals explorer Ivanhoe Australia after taking effective control of the company's major shareholder.

Business conditions worsened in April, unwinding the gradual improvement in activity of the past few months, a survey shows.

Australian stocks have opened almost 1.5 per cent lower, following instability in European markets after the election of France's first Socialist president in nearly two decades.

US stocks plunged Friday after the government reported that hiring slowed sharply last month. The report confirmed investors' fears that the US economic recovery is faltering.

Treasurer Wayne Swan says the International Monetary Fund has given a "ringing endorsement" to Labor's plan to return to surplus.

Premier Colin Barnett should leave the proponents of the $30 billion-plus Browse gas hub to make their own decisions and stop upsetting investors, the Labor opposition says.

The Australian stock market has closed lower with the miners hit hardest on a day of widespread declines.

Liberal leader Tony Abbott is unlikely to ensure Western Australia gets a better deal out of the GST carve-up after backflipping on his previous stance in favour of a per capita dist

James Packer's Consolidated Media Holdings says it one-quarter stake of pay tv provider Foxtel is not for sale.

The federal government insists there will be a floor price when the carbon tax transforms into an emissions trading scheme in mid-2015, despite independent MP Rob Oakeshott suggesting he could try

Westpac's business customers have received greater interest rate relief than mortgage holders, with the bank saying the sector needs a boost in the current economy.

A union representing 600 workers at the troubled Point Henry Alcoa aluminium smelter is optimistic the plant can be saved after meeting with US executives reviewing its future.

Regional airline Alligator Airways has been grounded amid concerns it poses a serious risk to air safety.

Australian stocks have opened weaker on the back of a weak lead from Wall Street, with falls among the big miners dragging the broader market lower.

Australia's busiest air routes are set to get even busier after Qantas Airways announced plans to add more flights in the latest salvo in its battle with Virgin.