AAP

Motorists should expect some festive cheer at the bowser with petrol prices expected to fall by up to two cents a litre in the next two weeks, an economist says.

Australian shares ended near a three-week low as the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il brought more uncertainty to a market already riled by a slump in the share price of domestic retailers.

Treasurer Wayne Swan has invited Australians to submit their priorities for next year's federal budget.

Four out of five Australians are worried about their ability to meet future debt repayments, a survey shows.

Superannuation funds have posted their worst performance since the height of the global financial crisis in 2008 as the eurozone's debt problems cut returns from capital markets.

Fairfax Media has appointed a new boss of its radio arm.

DuluxGroup says a resilient home renovation market and improved performances from its trade businesses will drive net profit higher in 2012.

Billabong International shares have plunged by over 30 per cent after it forecast a decline in earnings for the first half of the current financial year.

Qantas will continue to overhaul its Airbus A380s offshore but has managed to end a bitter industrial dispute "hand in hand" with its engineers.

Australian stocks opened lower after ratings agencies signalled Europe's debt crisis could soon spread to France.

US stocks looked set for another week under the cloud of Europe's public debt crisis and worries over whether the US economy can sustain its peppy fourth quarter growth into 2012.

The Australian dollar rose as eurozone finance ministers prepare for a telephone conference on the debt crisis on Tuesday.

A contractor who paid more than $133,000 to a former council building co-ordinator has been jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to a corruption charge.

Wesfarmers says it expects to book $90 million pre-tax profit on the sale of its Premier Coal business to Chinese-owned Yancoal, after the deal was given regulatory approval today.

Australian stocks ended modestly higher as positive leads from the United States helped the local market claw back some ground after a week of heavy losses.

Qantas has struck a new three-year deal with its short-haul cabin crew.

Law firm Maurice Blackburn will file class actions against the other big banks for charging exorbitant customer fees after the partial success in a court case against ANZ.

Leighton Holdings subsidiary John Holland has won a $100 million Opera House project to build a new loading dock and upgrade the forecourt roadway.

ANZ Banking Group has echoed what has been said by the other major banks, saying that the European debt crisis is increasing the cost of funds.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank will pay about $130 million for Bank of Cypress Australia, which caters to the Greek and Cypriot communities in NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

Oil refiner Caltex expects a drop in profit in 2011 due to challenging trading conditions and disruptions to its operations.

Australian stocks broke their three-day losing streak following positive data from the US and a surge in demand at Spain's latest bond auction.

The Australian dollar has risen slightly on stronger than expected data from Europe.At 0700 AEDT the Australian dollar was trading at 99.15 US cents, up from 98.78 cents on Thursday.

Positive data on the US jobs market, industrial activity and trade has given a boost to US stocks, but eurozone clouds continued to hover over the markets.

A new communications watchdog and an overhaul of media ownership rules are among the recommendations of the federal government's media convergence review.

More than $300 billion worth of resources projects are either underway or on the cards in Western Australia, according to state government data.

Consumer products retailer JB Hi-Fi has flagged its first fall in earnings despite adding new stores, as the retail slump catches up to the seller of low-priced audio visual products.

National Australia Bank says the current exposure to European government debt is "negligible" and it is committed to retaining a presence in the UK.

Australian stocks fell to a two-week low as poor data out of Asia and the growing prospect of a recession in Europe sent investors running for cover.

Gas pipeline owner Hastings Diversified Utilities Fund (HDF) has rejected a surprise takeover offer by APA Group but says it's still open to a higher bid.

ANZ Banking Group says it could take several weeks to fix a security problem with its online banking service.

BlueScope Steel says retail shareholders took up less than half of the new shares available under a $600 million capital raising share offer.