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Legend has it the wife of King Louis XVI of France, Marie Antoinette, said, ‘let them eat cake’ on hearing the starving peasants were in revolt against bread shortages.

The Australian dollar is soaring towards 77 US cents amid an oil price rally.

Henderson-headquartered ship building company Strategic Marine has secured a $US50.1 million ($A66 million) contract to build two liquefied natural gas-powered aluminium catamarans for a European client.

Woodside chief executive Peter Coleman told the LNG 18 conference in Perth today there could be opportunities for LNG producers to move further into downstream markets, particularly in developing countries, where demand for gas existed but barriers to entry had slowed take up.

The Australian share market has closed higher due to gains among the major banks.

TPG’s half-year profit statement suggests where a company is headquartered may be less important than the value for money of its offering.

Perth's commercial landlords are seeking innovative ways to utilise office space left vacant by falling demand from business.

Alumina giant Alcoa could be on the cusp of a strong growth period, yet significant challenges remain in its way in ensuring it can keep up with low-cost global competitors.

West Perth-based tech company TikForce has closed marginally lower on its first day of trading, following completion of a $4.5 million capital raising as part of a reverse takeover by Palace Resources.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says he will raise mining contractors’ concerns with Rio Tinto over the mining giant’s move to double its standard payment terms, while premier Colin Barnett went further, saying its move was not fair or reasonable.

Local financial services provider Pioneer Credit has raised nearly $6 million from investors as it seeks to further grow its business.

There may have been a breach of corporate duties at Queensland Nickel, according to the company's administrators, which have recommended the Clive Palmer enterprise be liquidated.

The federal government's decision to inject an extra $260 million into the Perth Freight Link for construction of a road tunnel has drawn heated criticism, with the City of Fremantle saying an additional $1.4 billion was still required to address a core shortfall of the latest proposal.

The Australian share market has opened flat.

Western Power advised its staff yesterday that an estimated 215 roles are no longer needed as the utility continues a three-year program that has already cut more than 300 jobs.

The Australian dollar has broken above 76 US cents as the greenback suffers and commodities strengthen.

Gold prices have risen to their highest in almost three weeks, setting the market on course toward $US1,300 an ounce, drawing confidence from continued ultra-low interest rates.

Breakthrough as Turnbull agrees to pay for Freight Link tunnel

The shift towards negative interest rate in some countries is a scenario that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. 

The news last month that CBH Group was shutting down its Lupin Foods subsidiary after failing to find a buyer shows that commercial requirements and scientific advancement do not always connect neatly.

Charities in WA will need more fundraising champions like Vince Gareffa as traditional events prove harder to sell.

Analysis by Deloitte suggests grain growers in the CBH Group network value add $771 million to the state’s economy, while the grain handler directly contributes a further $348 million.

Mining camp operator Sodexo has pledged to create 400 new jobs for indigenous Australians after becoming the latest company to join the federal government’s employment parity initiative.

The efficiencies of local agribusinesses’ owner-operator model makes them prime targets for foreign buyers.

Recently revived Eastern Goldfields has called on the Department of Mines and Petroleum to withdraw a request for $8.6 million worth of the company’s bonds.

The Australian share market has closed slightly lower as weakness among the big banks outweighed strength in the energy and mining sectors.

LNG 18 conference organising committee chair Grant King is positive about the industry's future, despite the low oil price environment and a predicted short-term oversupply, saying international demand growth for electricity will underpin a need for gas.

Corporate law firm Gilbert + Tobin has recruited former Rio Tinto Australia managing director Philip Edmands as a new Perth-based partner.

Wesfarmers has disclosed that $18.1 million worth of supplier rebates had artificially inflated Target’s half-year earnings and up to 10 people were involved in the collusion.

The head of North Queensland Airport Group will soon be flown in to succeed Brad Geatches as chief executive of Perth Airport.

SPECIAL REPORT: The number of hostile takeover bids confronting Australian companies may be relatively low, but disruption from sources such as activist groups and shareholder class actions is a growing challenge for directors.

SPECIAL REPORT: Tox Free Solutions has completed nearly 20 takeovers on its way to becoming a national player in the waste management sector.