AAP

Boral is merging its construction materials and cement divisions into one business, resulting in the departure of long-serving manager Murray Read.

High-profile businessman James Strong has been remembered as a modern renaissance man with a presence across business, sports and the arts.

Western Australia's relationship with Asia is 20 years ahead of the rest of the country, Premier Colin Barnett says.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved closer to an all-time high last week, as improving economic sentiment overrode concerns about looming government spending cuts.

There are signs of life and glimmers of hope in the market after a reporting season that beat expectations - albeit only slightly - and promised better things to come.

The Australian dollar is almost half a US cent lower after Chinese economic data showed its manufacturing sector is expanding at a slower pace.

The credibility of Liberal and Labor election promises are both under question, with Troy Buswell admitting the Liberals three major pledges are reliant on being half funded by the Commonwealth, an

Australia's export commodity prices rose for the fourth consecutive month in February, Reserve Bank of Australia figures show.

The Australian sharemarket closed almost half a per cent lower as the major resources companies dragged the index down.

Most homeowners won't be surprised if the central bank leaves the cash rate unchanged after next Tuesday's monthly board meeting.

The trial of high-profile bikie Troy Mercanti is one of the court cases disrupted by a prison officers' strike.

Leighton Holdings has sold a major office tower development in Melbourne to two property groups for $462 million.

Thousands of angry unionists knocked on Premier Colin Barnett's office door to voice their frustration at overseas recruitment yesterday - only to find he was out campaigning thousands of kilometre

Besieged Network Ten has recruited the man behind the Seven Network's morning show sensations, to fight its way back in the ratings.

The Australian share market has opened more than three quarters of a per cent lower, driven down by falls in the resources sector after a last minute sell-off in the US.

Australia's manufacturing sector continued to shrink in February, but the rate of contraction has slowed.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose tantalisingly close to an all-time high on Thursday but failed to top the five-year-old mark and ended up in the red after a late-session sell-off.

Growth at the tail end of 2012 might not have been as upbeat as expected, but new data suggests the economy will continue to be underpinned by mining investment for a while yet.

The Australian share market has reached a fresh four and a half year high, buoyed by improved investor sentiment towards the Italian election outcome.

New laws proposed in the wake of the Montara oil spill, dubbed Australia's worst oil disaster, have cleared parliament.

Western Australia's Liberal party is promising to chip away at the state's housing crisis by removing outdated restrictions on granny flats.

The federal government has released a consultation paper for its plan to change the timing of company tax payments.

A better-than-expected capital expenditure outlook is another sign the Reserve Bank of Australia won't need to cut the cash rate further.

Australian stocks have opened firmer, with a strong showing from Woolworths and Treasury Wine Estates leading the broader market higher.

While Tropical Cyclone Rusty continues to weaken, communities inland from the east Pilbara region are now in its firing line as the storm continues creeping south.

Woolworths' first half profit has grown to $1.15 billion as earnings from its supermarkets rose by six per cent.

Strong reports on the US housing market and durable goods orders propelled stocks higher on Wednesday, with the much-watched Dow index reaching its highest level in more than five years.

The tiny community of Pardoo is set to feel the full force of Severe Tropical Cyclone Rusty, which is set to cross the coastline this afternoon.

A bushfire tearing through Perth's northeastern fringes continues to quickly move in a westerly direction.

The Australian dollar is more than half a US cent lower as uncertainty about the Italian election result weighs on market sentiment.

The Australian share market finished higher following a strong lead from Wall Street and encouraging earnings reports locally.

Australian shoppers may be ready to start splashing their cash again as solid savings rates and low inflation lifts consumer confidence, Westfield boss Peter Lowy says.