AAP

The world's biggest economies will agree to increase the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) resources to help tackle the European debt crisis, officials at the Group of 20 summit said Thursday.

Western Australia's health department chief has defended the performance of the state's hospitals following a damning national report.

Fixed election dates have been passed into law in Western Australia, meaning future governments cannot choose a polling day for their own advantage.

The Australian dollar has continued its wild ride, slipping to 102.48 US cents after being as high as 107 US cents less than a week ago.

Australia's newest budget airline isn't out to compete directly with embattled Qantas, it says.

Mines Minister Norman Moore should not be appointed as Western Australia's agent-general in London because he's no diplomat, state Labor says.

The Australian share market lost ground for the fourth consecutive day as investor worries about Europe trumped a rebound in the US overnight.

The major banks are focused on improving productivity and cutting costs, as revenues stagnate due to slow credit growth and financial market uncertainty, analysts say.

Acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan has made plain to the National Australia Bank boss Cameron Clyde his displeasure at the bank's failure to pass on an official interest rate cut in full.

A decision by supermarket giant Coles to cut the price of milk to $1 a litre has been a win for consumers that had not badly affected Australia's dairy industry, a Senate inquiry has concluded.

A key business lobby group is urging big commercial banks to pass on the official interest rate cut by reducing rates for small- and medium-sized businesses.

Strict new laws in Western Australia will require all cats to be microchipped, sterilised and registered on a database.

Westpac boss Gail Kelly believes the Reserve Bank will need to cut interest rates again in coming months as turmoil and uncertainty in Europe continues to undermine local confidence.

Japanese firm Inpex is denying a news report it has made a final decision to go ahead with a giant gas plant in Darwin.

Retail spending has risen for the third month in a row, giving hope to a sector struggling with a high Australian dollar and consumer caution.

Activity in the Australian services sector contracted in October as sales weakened and new orders fell, a private survey shows.

The Australian share market opened higher after a lift on United States exchange overnight.

Car maker Holden says it has not made a final decision about the future of the Commodore, despite union claims that the next model could be the last created in Australia.

ANZ Banking Corporation has increased full year profit by 19 per cent to $5.36 billion, but says market volatility and consumer caution is likely to be a factor for some time.

The Australian dollar was slightly lower after the US central bank's policy meeting did not announce any new economic stimulus measures.

US stocks have rebounded after the Federal Reserve's policymakers kept ultra-low interest rates and said they were prepared to do more if needed to stimulate the sluggish economy.

Australian shares posted a third consecutive trading day of losses as optimism evaporated about the eurozone debt deal after Greece's call for a referendum on the plan.

The Australian dollar is trading almost one US cent lower on renewed worries about the eurozone debt resolution after Greece said it would hold a referendum on accepting a second bailout package.

The federal government is predicting an additional 76,000 jobs will be created in the retail sector by 2015.

Woolworths' new chief executive Grant O'Brien is planning an aggressive push to open 39 new supermarkets while reviewing the company's troubled Big W and Dick Smith stores.

Virgin Australia chief executive John Borghetti has rejected claims the airline's pilots, engineers and ground crew are paid substantially less than those at Qantas Airways.

More than three-quarters of Australians won't have enough superannuation to last them throughout their retirement, a new report warns.

The competition watchdog says Qantas is not doing enough to compensate the 68,000 passengers left out of pocket by its grounding.

Senior government ministers have rejected union calls for changes to the Fair Work Act following the forced termination of industrial action at Qantas.

Rio Tinto has significantly boosted its plans for driverless trucks at its Western Australian mines, increasing its order from 10 trucks to 150.

ANZ has become the third of the major banks to pass on Tuesday's central bank rate cut in full, but National Australia Bank only passed on a 20 point cut.