The benchmark price for US crude plummeted to negative $US35.20 a barrel as traders sought to avoid owning crude with nowhere to store it.

Changes necessary for the Victorian Government to deal with the coronavirus pandemic include plans to hold judge-only trials and giving councils the power to hold meetings online.

Australian shares drop in the wake of US oil prices falling below zero for the first time, underscoring the chaos the COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed on the global economy.

Backpacker workers are losing their jobs and being told to "go home" by local community members amid fears they will spread coronavirus.

On this day 50 years ago, WA farmer Leonard Casley "stuck his nose up" at the Federal Government and seceded from Australia, forming the micronation the Principality of Hutt River.

The Federal Government has thrown airline Regional Express a funding lifeline to continue servicing airports in regional Australia during the ongoing pandemic.

One of Adelaide's most historic music venues, which has hosted some of the world's biggest artists, could be forced to close due to a lack of support amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The live cattle trade out of northern Australia has its biggest price crash since 2011, with key markets such as Indonesia and Vietnam struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe warns Australia's unemployment rate is likely to hit 10 per cent by June, and even though Australia will recover, the coronavirus emergency "will cast a shadow over our economy for some time to come".

The modelling predicts more than a quarter of a million jobs could be lost in Victoria due to the coronavirus pandemic in what Premier Daniel Andrews says is the perhaps the "biggest economic and employment challenge" in the state's history.

Australia will buy fuel from the US at historic low prices to bolster its national stockpile, after criticisms that the Government only holds about 30 days' worth of fuel in domestic storage, far below the 90-day minimum.

Researchers melt an ice core taken from Antarctica 10 years ago and find dozens of microplastic particles, including polyethylene used to make plastic bags.

Townsville's housing market had been recovering after years of turmoil — now coronavirus is scaring off up to 70 per cent of potential buyers.

Australia is ratcheting up pressure on China to look into the health risks associated with wildlife wet markets as the world continues to battle the deadly spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

For Queensland, the pain of a possible collapse of Virgin Australia runs deep, with nearly half of its workforce based in the state.

The company behind the Spirit of Tasmania ferry service says its ships will no longer be docking at Station Pier in Port Melbourne, and will instead move to Corio Quay, north of Geelong.

A property analyst warns the worst-case scenario could see falls of up to 30 per cent, mainly in Sydney and Melbourne, while the end of the bank's mortgage repayment holidays will bring the real test for the housing market.

An Australian-made ventilator that costs a tenth of the price of existing models is brought to life in just four weeks, which could revolutionise intensive care capability in the fight against COVID-19.

Australian business are presented with a new set of rules on how to manage workplaces during the coronavirus pandemic, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he would "love to see a return to work across the board".

Perth Airport is using heavy machinery and company vehicles to block a number of Virgin Australia aircraft from taking off over what it says are $16 million in unpaid debts.

Australia's largest flour mill will produce an extra 50 million kilograms by the middle of the year as consumer demand goes through the roof.

Adelaide landmarks were illuminated with blue light overnight amid more tributes for SA Police Chief Superintendent Joanne Shanahan and Tania McNeill, who were killed in a three-car crash on Saturday.

The small town in the middle of Australia is hosting a collection of very expensive aircraft, including double-decker Airbus A380s. Why are they being stored here?

The Transport Workers' Union urges the Federal Court of Australia to find that Qantas is still responsible for paying sick leave to 25,000 workers who have been stood down during the global coronavirus pandemic.

Customers will be able to buy multiple packets of toilet paper at the supermarket giants, although a number of other items remain restricted.

Small businesses in Tasmania struggling to survive amid the coronavirus crisis call for clearer messaging from authorities, saying there is no point trading if customers are too nervous to leave home.

From balconies to lounge rooms, songs of joy and sadness are helping us cope and keeping us connected. And if we look to the past, we'll find that our tendency to turn to music during times of crisis is nothing new.

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino accuses the Federal Government of using funding to "force" independent schools to undermine the state's strategy on face-to-face learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fuel prices have plummeted across Australia during the coronavirus pandemic, but the ACT Government says they are not falling quickly enough in Canberra — and they are going to do something about it if prices do not fall to below $1 per litre this weekend.

A shutdown to fight the spread of COVID-19 has made a dire situation even worse in Lebanon, with its currency plunging in value.

While the fate of Virgin and Qantas makes headlines, Australia's outback aviation companies say they've been forgotten by authorities.

Victoria's total of COVID-19 cases rises to 1,361, as Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton reveals authorities are investigating three cases linked to a Melbourne aged care facility.

A ban on single-use plastics including cutlery and straws will be pushed back in SA to allow restaurants and cafes to reopen "sooner rather than later" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite coronavirus restrictions sending auctions online and seeing many home sales abandoned, CoreLogic figures for April show prices continued to rise for the few properties that did sell.

Care about sustainable seafood? The waters off South Africa's iconic False Bay have "gone quiet", and experts believe it could be linked to your weekend fish and chips.

Some 70,000 animals across Indonesia, including members of critically endangered species, are at risk of starvation as zoos struggle financially due to social distancing restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Children in SA will soon be able to return to playgrounds and in NSW, real estate watchers could be heading to open homes and auctions as soon as next weekend, as some state governments announce further easing of restrictions. These are the key coronavirus developments from today.

While the economic tsunami of coronavirus shutdowns hammers most sectors, WA's resources industry has jobs created on mine sites where providers of support services like catering, cleaning and maintenance are in high demand to keep mine sites safe.

The coronavirus pandemic is understandably weighing heavily on the business sector, but there are early signs of green shoots as one state begins to open up.

Canberra petrol retailers will need to meet weekly fuel price targets to avoid the ACT Government regulating the market, despite prices dropping to about $1 per litre after the Chief Minister threatened to cap margins.

The US President said China tried to cover up the coronavirus outbreak before trying to blame other countries for the ensuing health pandemic.

Citrus growers say under a proposed change, the health star rating for 100 per cent orange juice could drop from the current five stars to as low as 2.5 stars.

Josh Frydenberg will tell the National Press Club he is happy a discussion about lifting coronavirus restrictions is taking place earlier than first planned as new analysis says the Australian economy is losing $4 billion a week.

While oil and wholesale fuel prices have been at two-decade lows, pump prices have not come down so quickly or consistently across the country. But service station owners say they too are struggling to survive the COVID-19 downturn.

Work begins on the Gold Coast's $1 billion Pacific Motorway upgrade, with promises it will benefit motorists and the economy.

A journalist left out of work after Australian Community Media shut down his regional printing press starts his own online newspaper in an effort to keep the community informed.

A peak industry body says South Australia's 12-day stretch without any new coronavirus cases has created a "high level of expectation" that pubs will reopen.

An Adelaide mother is jailed for stealing from the Catholic Church to pay for expensive overseas holidays and indulgent consumer goods, while a former accountant is also sentenced for stealing from his clients.

One WA couple who fell victim to a tractor ad scam wants others to know about the dangers, as NT Consumer Affairs uncovers more than 20 similar sites.

Under siege from much cheaper rivals and with lenders unwilling to support it, pay TV operator Foxtel is increasingly looking like a threatened species.