AAP

Strong demand for construction and mining equipment should boost Caterpillar Inc's revenue through next year, even as the health of global economy remains in doubt.

The Australian dollar hit a six-week high today, buoyed by encouraging Chinese manufacturing data.

Australian shares gained about $35 billion in value as buyers and confidence returned, amid hopes of a comprehensive fiscal stability plan for Europe that also led to a rally on offshore markets.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she expects "intense" discussion at this week's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth.

Engineering and commercial construction is expecting a big boost this financial year and next thanks to the booming resources sector, a new survey has found.

The mining industry might be the darling of the business pages but it's painted as demonic by general news media, a conference has been told.

The Australian share market has opened over 1.5 per cent higher as European leaders work towards finalising measures to boost Europe's bailout fund and resolve the Greek debt crisis.

The Australian dollar rose almost one US cent as European leaders closed in on a broad agreement to resolve the euro debt crisis.

Australian farmers could be key to fighting global hunger and poverty, World Vision says.

Europe has inched closer to a resolution of its crippling economic crisis, winning praise from the head of the IMF and fresh reform pledges from debt-wracked Italy.

The number of Western Australians needing help to pay their water bills has blown out by more than 700 per cent in the past year.

A motel owner from a remote Western Australian town has been fined $9000 for illegally lending money to Aboriginal people at interest rates of up to 50 per cent.

Leighton Holdings and WorleyParsons say Libya remains off-limits for the foreseeable future in the wake of Muammar Gaddafi's killing, as uncertainty remains.

The Australian stock market closed marginally lower, as early gains were erased ahead of the European summit.

The possibility of an interest rate cut is off the table as inflation is not expected to ease significantly in the September quarter, economists say.

Myer chief executive Bernie Brookes' remuneration fell sharply in the last financial year after the retailer failed to meet its incentive targets.

A protester has tied himself to a communications tower near a proposed gas hub site in the Kimberley in a bid to stop survey work for the controversial Woodside Petroleum project.

Virgin Australia's proposed alliance with aviation powerhouse Singapore Airlines (SIA) has moved a step closer to fruition after regulators in Singapore gave the tie-up the green light.

Concerns about job security are at the heart of the Qantas industrial dispute and the onus is on the airline to resolve it, the Australian Council of Trade Unions says.

Farmers say new animal welfare arrangements for the Australian live export trade take a balanced approach.

Woodside Petroleum seems to be making progress with its stalled Sunrise project, saying its new chief executive Peter Coleman has held constructive talks with the East Timor government.

The Australian share market opened slightly higher after mixed overnight leads from the US and falls in base metals prices.

Engineering firm Monadelphous Group has signed new contracts with resources firms including Rio Tinto and Xstrata worth around $230 million.

The Australian dollar rose almost one US cent as traders position themselves in preparation for the weekend's crucial eurozone summit.

US stocks ended a choppy session mixed Thursday amid scepticism that European leaders will forge a deal on resolving the eurozone debt crisis in coming days.

Nickel miner Western Areas has reported a fall in first quarter nickel sales and prices, but stockpiles at its mines in Western Australia have grown and cash costs remain low.

The Australian dollar continued its slide closing at 101.55 US cents, down from 103.13 cents on Wednesday as progress seemed to slow on the Eurozone debt bail-out.

Leighton Holdings has hit out against a downgrade by ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) on the very day it secured a $1.2 billion rail contract in Hong Kong with a joint venture partner

The gap between Australia's weakest and strongest industries is greater than it has ever been, according to a business survey.

Federal Treasury says the government will have to think about boosting household assistance under its carbon price package if the world emissions price is higher than forecast in 2015.

The Indian prime minister's decision to skip a major Commonwealth summit in Perth has nothing to do with Labor's refusal to sell his country uranium, officials insist.