Latest Headlines

Shares in Blackham Resources have plummeted after it announced it had received commitments for $3.15 million at 11.5 cents per share to fund exploration and development studies at its Matilda gold project.

The price that Empire Oil & Gas will pay, to buy out joint venture partner ERM Power from their Perth Basin assets, has been cut to $15.1 million.

Declining national income is another headache for Treasurer Joe Hockey as he prepares for his mid-year budget review.

Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett says he's fighting fit and intends to stand for re-election in 2017.

Shares in Kimberley Diamonds closed 25 per cent higher today after the company announced it had entered into a subscription agreement to raise $4.37 million from a Chinese institutional investor.

Money is moving out of iron ore but where it goes next is the more interesting question, because it seems that some investors are developing a taste for agriculture – a shift that might prove to be a case of leaving the frying pan to land in the fire.

The share market has closed higher as the big banks continued their strong run, despite a fall in profit for National Australia Bank.

Perth looks set to have its own indoor skydiving facility after Sydney-based leisure firm Indoor Skydive Australia announced it had signed an offer to lease a block of land in Belmont to construct a 4.2-metre vertical wind tunnel.

New home sales are continuing to decline in Western Australia, falling 5.6 per cent in September, according to the latest report from the Housing Industry Association.

Andrew and Nicola Forrest's Minderoo Foundation is pushing for a Western Australian early learning centre to become the template for a national strategy.

Melbourne-based nickel explorer PLD Corporation has signed an option agreement to buy collapsed miner Kagara's Admiral Bay zinc project in the Canning Basin for a cash and shares package worth up to $7 million.

Broking firms have made bids of almost $12 billion for the Abbott government's sale of health insurer Medibank Private.

National Australia Bank chief executive Andrew Thorburn says the company must get out of its troubled UK banking business to improve returns.

A Chinese animation company has agreed to help fund construction of a speciality movie production studio in Bunbury which could see the South West town become a national centre of excellence.

The Australian share market has opened higher despite a drop in US markets overnight.

A solid lift in sales at Coles supermarkets and hardware chain Bunnings have pushed Wesfarmers' latest quarterly retail sales above $13.5 billion.

The Australian dollar has dropped more than one US cent after the Federal Reserve issued an upbeat assessment of the American employment market.

Wall Street stocks have finished lower after the US Federal Reserve ended its quantitative easing stimulus program, but said it would continue to keep its benchmark interest rate low.

Unlike 2013 when reported sales increased steadily across October, activity in 2014 remains volatile with house sales up again this week by 11% to 619 but below the reported 635 a fortnight ago.

Atlas Iron has shrugged off concerns about current market conditions and its thin margins, using its annual general meeting yesterday to remind shareholders of its development track record in an intensely competitive environment as proof it is a survivor committed to doing what it takes.

World oil prices have rallied after a smaller-than-expected increase in US crude inventories and the OPEC chief's comments that recent price falls are unjustifed.

Gold prices have extended their losses in electronic trading Wednesday, after the Federal Reserve said it would end its bond-purchase program and modestly upgraded its view on the job market.

The City of Geraldton has sold an 8.8-hectare parcel of land for $880,000 to Tersum Energy which expects to spend between $60 million and $80 million to build a 30-megawatt gas fired power station, and is in ongoing negotiations for offtake power.

Melbourne-based gold miner St Barbara has announced plans to appoint former Gindalbie Metals managing director Tim Netscher as chairman, as part of its ongoing board renewal.

The share market is weaker as investors cautiously wait for the big banks to deliver their full-year results.

If you thought last week's inflation numbers were tame, the actual cost of living is even more benign for some at the moment.

The Whitlam legacy lives on, on both sides of the political fence, in the push for ever-greater concentration of power in Canberra.

The owner of South Perth's Metro Hotel is going ahead with a 53-room expansion, despite a softening in demand for Perth hotel rooms, with Cooper & Oxley signed to carry out construction.

The new underground Perth Busport will be delivered on time and $40 million under budget, Transport Minister Dean Nalder says.

Treasurer Joe Hockey believes people are getting ahead of the game talking about the need for changes to the GST.

Suncorp's chief executive is calling on Treasurer Joe Hockey to tackle the competitive disadvantage of the smaller banks.

White Star Resources has gained backing from Perth businessmen Rod Jones and Brent Stewart, who plan to invest in a $4 million capital raising to support the acquisition of Spookfish and Geospatial Investments.