AAP

Oil rose slightly on Friday on futures buying, ending the week higher, but gains were limited by a strong U.S. dollar and lingering doubts about whether OPEC producers would stick to a deal to cut output.

The four-week marron fishing season begins this weekend in Western Australia and thousands of people are expected to turn out to dams and rivers to catch the unique freshwater crayfish.

Germany has won its Hopman Cup qualifying match against Great Britain 2-1 today, while in cricket Pakistan trail Australia by 428 runs in their second innings of the Sydney test match, after Australia declared at 2/241.

The Australian share market has eked out a minuscule gain to close higher for the fourth session in a row, with encouraging trade data having little impact.

Dreamworld operator Ardent Leisure says revenue at its theme parks dropped 63 per cent following their reopening in the wake of the October ride accident that killed four people on the Gold Coast.

The Australian share market is under pressure after gains in the last three sessions following a decline on Wall Street overnight.

The Australian dollar has risen on the back of strong local and Chinese service sector data.

Gold prices have risen one per cent to a near three-week high as early gains in stocks and other assets perceived as risky gave up gains and investors fled to save-haven bullion.

Oil prices have risen in an up-and-down session, lifted by news that Saudi Arabia had cut production to meet OPEC's agreement to reduce output after prices fell on data showing a surprisingly large increase in US petrol and distillate inventories.

Spain has beaten the Czech Republic in a Hopman Cup group B match on the tournament's fifth day, while Pakistan were 7/246 against Australia on day three of the rain-delayed test cricket match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The Australian share market has closed higher for a third straight session in 2017, boosted by strength among energy stocks after a lift in the price of oil.

Drivers may want to fill up at the servo in coming days with Australian petrol prices set to surge.

Australia's service sector activity is set to surge into the new year after finishing 2016 near a decade high.

A young man has died after falling from a building in Perth's CBD.

The Australian share market has opened higher after the US dollar pulled back from 14-year highs overnight.

Western Australian Senator Rod Culleton has again denied owing large sums of money after this week's latest bizarre public incident - a scuffle outside a Perth court.

The Australian dollar has hit a three-week high after the US Federal Reserve's noted there was a risk of rising interest rates if the new US administration embarked on a fiscal stimulus program.

Gold has risen to the highest in nearly four weeks as the dollar edged back from a 14-year peak and physical demand from major consumers China and India increased.

Oil prices ticked higher on expectations that US crude inventories have dropped and on signs that the world's top oil exporters will stick to agreed output cuts that took effect this week.

The Australian share market has closed relatively flat, after investors received a lacklustre lead from overseas markets and took a breather from the year-opening rally.

The Australian share market has closed relatively flat, after investors received a lacklustre lead from overseas markets and took a breather from the year-opening rally.

Former One Nation Senator Rod Culleton says he's recovering at home following an "unexpected attack" outside a Perth court yesterday.

Banks hiking mortgage interest rates out of cycle and failing to pass on official rate cuts are expected to dampen demand for housing this year, according to a new report.

The Australian share market was only slightly higher in early trade with gains patchy due to the absence of a catalyst.

The Australian dollar is steady against its US counterpart in early trade on Wednesday after rebounding in the previous session on positive Chinese and Australian manufacturing data.

Gold prices rose one per cent to a near 3-week high on Tuesday as early gains in stocks and other assets perceived as risky gave up gains and investors fled to save-haven bullion.

Oil prices slid more than 2 per cent on the first trading day of 2017, knocked off 18-month highs hit in early trade as the U.S. dollar rallied to its highest level since 2002 and traders took profits.

Wall Street has risen sharply as a post-election rally extended into the new year, helped by gains in Verison Communications and technology companies Alphabet and Facebook.

The Australian share market has started 2017 positively, closing above 5,700 points for the first time since June 2015 as stocks across the board made gains.

Hills will no longer make and sell the Hills Hoist but the iconic Aussie clothesline will live on under new ownership.

Australian factory activity picked up last month on the back of improving demand and recovering commodity prices.

ANZ is continuing to offload Asian assets with the sale of its 20 per cent stake in Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank for $1.84 billion.