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Shares on the Australian market are off to a good start, with a gain of more than 1.0 per cent and most sectors trading higher.

Perth is test case for return to office

US crude prices have reached their highest price since March, on strengthening fuel demand as countries around the world eased travel restrictions they had imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Gold prices have jumped to levels last seen in 2012, as renewed US-China trade tensions added to concerns about a deep economic slump due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The state government has said it will allow public and private hospitals to increase elective surgeries to 50 per cent of normal activity as of Monday, following new guidelines set today by the national cabinet.

The whipsaw action on the Australian share market has continued for a fifth straight day of back-and-forth action.

Virgin Australia is expected to receive as many as eight non-binding indicative offers from potential buyers, which will be whittled down over the next few days to a shortlist of around three, its administrators said.

Premier Mark McGowan has announced details on the COVID Safety Plan businesses need to complete before reopening next week. The federal government has announced a $48.1 million mental health support package.

Trevor Badger has been voted off the CBH Group board by the slimmest of margins at a special general meeting today, with the vote exposing a divide between members and the farm co-operative's board.

Architects are hoping the government will consider a series of targeted initiatives to stimulate the economy as attention shifts to COVID-19 recovery plans.

An expected pick-up in commercial construction activity in Western Australia has been wiped out by COVID-19 restrictions, with Master Builders Association now tipping a small decline over the next two years. The outlook is worse at a national level,

As shops across WA begin to reopen as social distancing restrictions ease, retail property owners are starting to reflect on the health of their assets.

Western Australia-based Mair Property Funds has bought a West Perth property and an office in Victoria, for $10.6 million and $13.9 million respectively.

The Housing Industry Forecast Group (HIFG) has downgraded its estimate on the number of dwellings to be built in Western Australia for the current financial year, with the updated figure almost 20 per cent lower than FY19.

PODCAST: Mark Pownall and Mark Beyer discuss the pandemic's economic impact, labour force, construction, hospitality, Qantas and Perth Airport, Minderoo rebrand, China spat, new corporate finance deals, Jennifer Lawrence, the City of the Future and our special report on the education sector.

GR Engineering Services has received a contract extension from the federal government for operations and maintenance services at the Northern Endeavour Floating Production Storage and Offtake (FPSO) vessel in the Timor Sea.

Local company EMCO Building has been awarded the build contract at South Regional TAFE's new $18.34 million Esperance campus, under a deal with the state government.

Australian Football League boss Gillon McLachlan has confirmed the resumption of the 2020 season, with an initial four rounds of football to begin on June 11.

Perth Airport has resolved its recent dispute with Qantas over unpaid fees during the COVID-19 pandemic, following weeks of acrimonious brinkmanship with the nation's flag carrier.

Shares on the Australian market were up by about one per cent in early trade and most industry sectors were higher.

Beijing options limited to Australian iron ore

Oil prices settled higher overnight after the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast lower global stockpiles in the second half of 2020, although worries remain that a second surge in coronavirus infections could occur in coming months.

Gold climbed to a three-week high overnight, propelled by safe-haven demand, as investors ditched riskier assets on concerns over long-drawn economic weakness and renewed US-China trade tensions.

Andrew and Nicola Forrest have rebranded their private company as Tattarang, with the change of name coming soon after several board and executive changes.

The volatile Australian share market has plunged 1.7 per cent, repeating a familiar pattern as it trades in a fairly tight range.

All school students in Western Australia are required to return to the classroom on Monday, with some exceptions. The state reported one new coronavirus infection overnight. There were 13 new COVID-19 cases reported nationally.

Private investment group Viburnum Funds has acquired a majority shareholding in Henderson-based Cranecorp Australia in a deal believed to be worth about $50 million.

International border closures could crack the foundations of WA's student accommodation sector, but operators remain optimistic as projects progress.

Few businesses in Western Australia have felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the way that Brightwater Care Group has, with aged care being challenged like almost no other sector while other income streams for the organisation have been severely curtailed.

The number of homes being built in Western Australia has fallen by 25.2 per cent since coronavirus-related restrictions were implemented in late March, according to Housing Industry Association (WA), which has predicted the state will be the first to experience a homebuilding downturn.

Virgin Australia's administrators at Deloitte will have a better sense of which parties are interested in buying the beleaguered airline, when non-binding indicative offers are made tomorrow.

Chalice Gold Mines chairman Tim Goyder has sold 20 per cent of his shareholding in the company to accommodate strong demand for shares in this week's $30 million capital raising.