AAP

Engineeering and construction business Forge Group has been awarded a $100 million contract to expand a Pilbara iron ore mine owned by mining giant Rio Tinto.

The Australian share market has closed higher, shrugging off four-year-high unemployment figures.

Bega Cheese has made a $319 million play for fellow dairy producer Warrnambool Cheese and Butter that could create one of Australia's largest listed food companies.

Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting has lost its final bid to claw back a stake in the large Rhodes Ridge iron ore project in the Pilbara.

Australia's largest beef cattle producer plans to raise almost $300 million through the sale of new shares.

Australian shares are flat as investors stand by for unemployment data for August.

Myer chief executive Bernie Brookes has criticised high wages costs and the GST as the department store's full year profit fell by 8.7 per cent to $127.2 million.

The Australian dollar is higher as strong business and consumer sentiment surveys drive optimism about the local economy.

US stocks have closed mixed, with the Dow surging sharply higher and Apple dragging down the Nasdaq after its iPhone launch missed expectations.

The Australian share market has hit a five year high as investors are inspired by China's economic growth.

Premier Colin Barnett says 457 visa holders deserve more information about plans next year to slug them $4,000 a year for their child's education.

An internet petition set up by a Liberal-voting student to save Labor's national broadband network has become Australia's largest ever online petition.

Billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart is seeking to have a bitter dispute surrounding a family trust fund referred to arbitration.

The federal government's leading employment index fell for an eighth consecutive month in September, pointing to below trend jobs growth in coming months.

The Australian share market has opened higher as investors welcome solid Chinese economic data, the possibility of a diplomatic solution to the Syria chemical weapons issue and renewed business con

US stocks rose on better Chinese economic data and easing concerns about Syria, despite a fall in Apple shares following the launch of two new iPhones.

The Australian dollar has hit a six week high as investors get increasingly optimistic about the global economy.

Australian shares are close to their highest point for the year as investor confidence is boosted by a decisive federal election result and encouraging Chinese economic data.

Australia's biggest airlines face pricing pressure as they battle for fly-in, fly-out contracts in the wake of a recent downturn in the mining sector.

One of Western Australia's top judges has expressed anger in open court at the growing workload of the judiciary in the state.

Business confidence has soared to its highest level in more than two years, helped by lower interest rates and more certainty about the outcome of the federal election.

Former Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski is well qualified to head NBN Co, coalition frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull says.

Australian shares have opened higher, following Wall Street's lead with stocks rallying on the back of solid Chinese export data.

Struggling rural services company Elders will cut its staff by 10 per cent.Elders said this morning that the job losses would be part of more than $25 million in company cuts.

Mining magnate Clive Palmer says his party will block Tony Abbott's policy agenda in the Senate unless there's electoral reform.

Oil prices have lost support after hitting 28-month highs over fears of fallout from a possible US military attack on Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons.

The Australian dollar is higher as a stream of strong data out of China boosts confidence about the world's second biggest economy.

US stocks have risen, helped by optimism that a military strike on Syria might be avoided.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 140.62 (0.94 per cent) to 15,063.12 on Monday.

Alannah MacTiernan says she is certain the party would have been wiped off the map in the west if not for Kevin Rudd.

Australian shares finished half a per cent higher, buoyed by a decisive election result and positive news from China and Japan.

The latest round of vote counting shows the Liberal-National coalition ahead in 87 seats, giving it a big majority, but with maverick billionaire Clive Palmer on track to enter federal parliament

The fall-out continues for Newcrest Mining after its horror year, with boss Greg Robinson's annual pay cut by 27 per cent to $2.73 million.