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The Australian dollar has continued its slide against a steady US dollar that is hovering near an 11-month peak against a basket of major currencies as China's signal of tolerance of a stronger yuan offset anxiety about the global trade conflict.

Technology and media stocks pushed Wall Street higher on Wednesday and helped the Nasdaq hit a record high, as markets eyed a recovery after being battered by a rapidly escalating China-US trade tensions.

Gold prices have dropped, remaining near a six-month low, as the US dollar has hovered around 11 month peaks but was offset by festering global trade tensions, while platinum hit a 2-1/2-year trough.

The Australian share market is at its highest level in more than 10 years as the major banks soared, while Telstra plunged after announcing major job cuts and asset sales.

BGC Australia has kicked off its asset sale program with the listing of the recently completed Westin Perth and Aloft Perth hotels, along with an adjoining commercial office building in Rivervale, a CBD development site and a neighbouring food and beverage precinct.

Two local biotech companies have announced capital raisings today, with Botanix Pharmaceuticals tapping investors for $8 million, while Roto-Gro International has boosted its coffers with a $4.5 million raising.

Job vacancies in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions hit their highest level in four years in May, as demand for engineers, IT professionals and automotive trade workers in Western Australia takes off.

Capricorn Metals has flagged a reduction in the capital cost of its planned Karlawinda gold project near Newman to $132 million following an optimisation study.

Gold producer Northern Star Resources has hit its gold production rate target for 2018, while Doray Minerals has announced an increased production guidance for the 2019 financial year.

Water Corporation chief executive Sue Murphy has announced she will stand down at the end of the year after a decade at the helm.

Chris Ellison-led Mineral Resources has decided against making a counter offer to Gina Rinehart’s $390 million takeover bid for junior miner Atlas Iron.

A former Austal executive has been restrained from working for competitor Civmec on the $3.6 billion offshore patrol vessels program, after an interim injunction was handed down in the Supreme Court last week.

After more than two decades as Sandover Pinder, the local architecture firm has changed its name to Carabiner – a rebrand its directors say better reflects the business as the link between clients’ needs and good design.

A team of Murdoch University scientists is seeking an industry partner to help advance its electricity-free desalination system and bring it to market.

In the latest article in our 25-year anniversary series, we look at the 2006 collapse of Norm Carey’s Westpoint group and the continuing legal battles.

Home for Now, which was developed by Anglicare WA and UWA's Coders for Causers, is a web app that provides live listings of available crisis and transitional accommodation on any given night.

Telstra is axing 8,000 jobs over the next three years as it tries to save $1 billion while tackling the cost of investing in new technology and increased competition from its rivals.

Australian shares have opened higher despite falls in commodity prices and weakness on overseas markets amid escalating trade tensions between China and the US.

Trade war escalates, wiping billions off Asian stocks

Perth-based blockchain business Power Ledger has signed a deal to work on an electric vehicle charging project in California’s Silicon Valley.

The Australian dollar has retraced some of the ground it has lost against its major currency peers regaining almost a fifth of a cent against the US dollar.

Oil has fallen ahead of a possible increase in OPEC crude supply, and as an escalating trade dispute between the United States and China unleashed sharp selloffs in many global markets.

Gold has fallen to a near six-month low and platinum has hit its lowest since February 2016 as a stronger greenback is overwhelmed by safe-haven buying, spurred by fears of a trade war between the world's two top economies.

The Australian share market edged lower as the mining heavyweights were hit by falls in iron ore prices, while the Australian dollar hit a one-year low.

Queensland-based The Tourism Group is set to become the new operator of the Western Australian Visitor Centre in the Perth CBD after winning a state government contract.

Media buying agency Carat has retained its contract with the Western Australian government, sharing the roster with Initiative, which has also been contracted for non-campaign work.

ConocoPhillips has set up a design competition between two engineering groups led by Technip Oceania and MODEC for the key facilities at its Barossa gas project in the Timor Sea while WorleyParsons subsidiary Intecsea has been awarded a separate contract for subsea infrastructure.

Western Australians still have higher median incomes than those in other states despite recent softening, according to data released today, with Ashburton and Peppermint Grove the nation’s top local government areas by the measure.

The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows Perth’s house prices are down on the last quarter, while the ANZ is forecasting further house price falls for the state in the next two years.

BMD Constructions has won its second major road contract in the past month after securing a $48.4 million contract to widen a section of the Kwinana Freeway.

JPMorgan Australia chairman Robert Priestley has quit the ASX and Future Fund boards as a criminal case progresses against ANZ bank over a capital raising underwritten by the investment bank.

Medical platform HealthEngine and an online analytics system designed to benefit agribusinesses were among the winners at last week’s Western Australian Information Technology and Telecommunications Alliance Incite awards.