AAP

The former boss of the collapsed Westpoint group has lost his second appeal against convictions for making misrepresentations about a residential property development in Perth.

The coalition has found $31.6 billion of savings over the next four years to pay for its election promises.

Construction and maintenance group Transfield Services has suffered a $250 million loss, dragged down by costs associated with its businesses in Western Australia, the US and Chile.

Australian stocks have opened sharply lower as rising concern over the West's likely imminent intervention in Syria sent international markets tumbling.

Woolworths has lifted its full year profit almost 25 per cent amid solid earnings growth from its core supermarkets division.

The coalition will argue that abolishing the carbon tax will save the budget $5.6 billion over four years and the party's paid parental leave scheme will add to the bottom line, news reports say.

The Australian dollar is slightly higher on the back of rising commodity prices.At 0700 AEST on Wednesday, the local unit was trading at 89.84 US cents, up from 89.56 cents on Tuesday.

Work on the long-awaited, new Western Australian Museum is about to kick off.

US stocks have plunged as the country moves closer to punitive military action against Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons in a devastating attack on civilians.

The Australian dollar is lower due to growing expectations the US will launch a military strike against Syria.

Australian shares are slightly higher despite concerns about a possible military response to Syria's unrest.

Wage growth under recent enterprise bargaining agreements has been restrained, posing little threat to the inflation outlook, new federal government figures suggest.

Seven Group Holdings shares have fallen almost 10 per cent as the company foreshadowed a substantial drop in full-year earnings due to a downturn in the mining sector.

The Australian share market has opened lower after the United States' condemnation of chemical weapon attacks in Syria triggered sharp falls on Wall Street.

Tony Abbott's paid parental leave scheme is "expensive" and will be the most generous in the world but it's money well spent, Malcolm Turnbull says.

Troubled surfwear company Billabong has made a net loss of $860 million with major writedowns and a drop in revenue.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says it makes long-term strategic and economic sense to move the navy's main east coast base from Sydney to Brisbane.

The Australian dollar is slightly lower after weak US economic data and worries over Syria pulled it in opposite directions overnight.

US stocks have closed sharply lower after Secretary of State John Kerry warned that the US will demand "accountability" after an "obscene" chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians.

The Australian dollar edged higher in a quiet day of trade.At 1700 AEST on Monday, the local unit was trading at 90.38 US cents, up from 90.03 cents on Friday.

Australian shares finished higher as investors bought banking stocks in the absence of local drivers.

Pressure is mounting on the state government to abandon plans to run light rail down Perth's busiest shopping mall.

Finance Minister Penny Wong doubts a coalition government can deliver a budget surplus without cutting services.

Tony Abbott says the coalition will have more to say about budget savings this week, but maintains the opposition's full costings won't be released until the final week of the campaign.

Drilling companies Swick Mining Services and Boart Longyear have provided a snapshot of conditions in the resources drilling sector, with underground and surface mining-focused Swick booking a reco

The Australian share market has opened higher after Wall Street made solid gains on Friday.

Gold prices have settled at their highest level in 11-weeks high after weaker US home sales data stoked hopes of sustained stimulus measures from the Federal Reserve.

The Australian dollar is a third of a US cent higher after the release of weak US housing data sparked concerns about the America's economic recovery.

US stocks scored solid gains to finish last week, with the market getting a jolt from Microsoft's announcement that chief executive Steve Ballmer will retire within the next 12 months.

A new medical school will go ahead in Western Australia regardless of whether federal government support is provided, Premier Colin Barnett says.

The Australian share market has closed higher on the back of encouraging international data.

Shareholders have slammed as too lenient the $50,000 fine handed to former Gunns chairman John Gay for insider trading.