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Public servants in Perth's central business district were this morning set to walk off the job as part of a campaign for a better pay deal.

Shares in Perth-based explorer Tawana Resources are trading lower after the company announced it has raised $5 million through a discounted share placement.

7-Eleven Stores has confirmed that it is expanding into Western Australia, as foreshadowed last month by Business News.

The Australian dollar has drifted lower following soft economic data.

Global oil prices have fallen after rebels agreed to reopen two of the four blockaded oil-export terminals in eastern Libya, suggesting the country's blockaded supplies might come back on the market.

US stocks have slumped for a third day in a row with investors worrying about whether high-flying technology stocks are overvalued and cautiously anticipating earnings season.

The lack of competition for small business lending needs to come under scrutiny at the federal government’s financial system inquiry.

Gas industry leaders lined up today to call for more supportive government policies on workplace relations, taxation and skilled migration, saying these changes were crucial if the sector was to maximise growth opportunities.

Australia has secured a historic free trade agreement with its second-largest trading partner Japan after seven years of negotiations.

Premier Colin Barnett has launched a blunt attack on the gas industry, saying it doesn’t understand Australia, had left his government swinging “high and dry” and needed to do more for the domestic market.

The share market has fallen despite making up some of the early losses incurred due to a negative lead from Wall Street.

Global engineering and construction group Kentz has been awarded a $US570 million contract for electrical and instrumentation works at the Inpex-operated Ichthys liquefied natural gas project.

Uncertainty over the price of oil makes Seven Group Holdings’ purchase of Nexus Energy a classic case of what business risk is all about.

The Western Australian Museum Foundation is in the final stages of establishing governance and investment structures to support what it hopes will be the largest cultural endowment fund in Australia.

Tourists and business travellers will soon be spoilt for choice when it comes to luxury hotels in Perth, with a rush of new developments providing new options at five stars and above.

China's economic growth will slow slightly in 2014 but the nation remains the key to the fortunes of the East Asia Pacific region, a new World Bank report says.

Veteran Perth mining services executive Richard (Dick) Wright has passed away after more than 40 years of managing major projects.

SPECIAL REPORT: Waning interest in the resources sector has encouraged a pick-up in IT and tech companies.

SPECIAL REPORT: The gold and technology sectors have experienced a boost in investment activity for the March quarter, but doubts remain over whether it will last.

Perth-based juniors A-Cap Resources and Lucapa Diamond Company have tapped the market for capital as they look to advance their respective projects.

Wesfarmers has agreed to sell its insurance broking arm for $1.01 billion, marking an exit from the industry for the company.

The Australian share market has started the week lower with negative sentiment and heavy sell-offs in the US blamed for the fall.

Key Labor figures have backed a call by Bill Shorten to allow non-union members to join the party and overhaul the way candidates are selected but the opposition leader is likely to face some resistance, with union chiefs wary of the reform.

US stocks had a mixed week with the broader market rising on better economic data, but technology stocks faltering on concerns about a downturn in the bubble-prone sector.

Gold prices have risen to their highest level in more than a week after data showed the US created slightly fewer jobs than expected in March.

The Australian dollar has bounced on the back of key US employment figures.

Trident Subsea Cable has targeted June as the crucial point for a decision on the future of a second submarine cable linking Perth with Asia.

Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting has been taken to court by the corporate watchdog for failing to lodge financial reports on time.

Western Australian voters will return to the polls tomorrow for a Senate election re-run which could have major consequences for the federal government’s legislative agenda.

Jacka Resources has launched a $3.9 million capital raising and will review its operations and restructure its board in a bid to cut costs following Tangiers Petroleum’s failed takeover of the company.

In this week’s edition of Business News Background, news editor Mark Beyer, head of content Mark Pownall and host James Lush discuss the news behind Saturday’s Senate election re-run, corporate finance and emerging tech opportunities and the rush of luxury hotels hitting the market in Perth. Other topics discussed include progress at the Emu Brewery site on Mounts Bay Road and new trends in workplace design.

Late gains have pushed the share market slightly higher ahead of the release of US job numbers.