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'Thought my number was up': Tragedy follows horror after man quits job for dream cruise

Raymond Barbara gave up his job for "the holiday of a lifetime". Instead he ended up with coronavirus, in mourning for his late mother, and thousands of dollars out of pocket.




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Australia capitalises on low fuel prices to establish stockpile in US

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.




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Ruby Princess doctor tells inquiry she would not have allowed passengers to disembark

The senior doctor on board the Ruby Princess tells an inquiry she is surprised passengers were allowed to disembark in Sydney last month despite some displaying COVID-19 symptoms.




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Many WA businesses already struggling fear they've just been hit with a knockout blow

The tourism industry warns if Virgin Australia collapses it could deliver a knockout blow to many WA businesses who were already on their knees as a result of coronavirus.





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Australia calls for independent study of wet market risks in response to COVID-19 pandemic

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.




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'Severe and long-lasting impacts': Queensland braces for economic fallout amid Virgin administration

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




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'Wet season, COVID-19, wet season': Coronavirus has left northern WA tourism on the brink

Kimberley tourism operators brace for "18 months of pain" as COVID-19 decimates the northern tourist season.




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Preliminary report released into plane crash that killed four people

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau releases a preliminary report into the mid-air collision near Mangalore in Victoria that killed four people in February.




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Calm before the storm? House prices tipped to tumble as auction clearance rates slump

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.




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Petrol stations accused of gouging as some Queenslanders pay 75 per cent more

While the price of petrol falls to the lowest point in a generation in Brisbane, service stations are charging 30 per cent more in north Queensland and 75 per cent more in Mt Isa, with a federal MP raising accusations of collusion.





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ASX rises, US markets fall from highs after coronavirus treatment trial results

The Australian share market ends higher, despite Wall Street giving up most of its gains after leaked test results of a potential COVID-19 treatment prove disappointing.




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'Rednecks' racially attacking Chinese trainee pilots and using laser pointers, school claims

Reports of interference with aircraft radio communications at one of regional Victoria's busiest airports, where a flying school training pilots for Chinese airlines has been operating for about a year, are being investigated.




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Cars, excavator used to impound Virgin planes at Perth Airport amid stand-off over 'significant' debt

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.




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These three people's lives have changed because the pokies have shut down

The coronavirus shutdown has negatively affected so many aspects of the economy, but for these Australians, the closure of pokies rooms has changed life for the better.




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Arnhem Land opened up to Aussies like never before with spectacular online concert series

As artists worldwide launch livestream concerts from home, Yolngu musicians in one of the most remote parts of Australia are offering up a unique series of performances from north-east Arnhem Land.




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'It's been hectic': Flour production soars as coronavirus causes record demand

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.




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'Morally it's the wrong thing to do': Insurers refuse to cover landlord's rental loss

Thousands of mum-and-dad investors are being caught out by insurance companies refusing to cover them when they cut rent for tenants under financial stress due to coronavirus restrictions.




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The 'reset' it needed — how coronavirus is changing the fashion industry forever

Almost a quarter of Australia's fashion labels believe they will never recover from the coronavirus hit — but some are adapting and finding new ways to make money, and a new way of doing business.




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Westpac sets aside $3.6b for COVID-19 debt and AUSTRAC penalty, ASX falls

Australia's second-largest bank says its upcoming results will suffer a massive hit due to COVID-19, on another volatile day for the ASX.




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'Couldn't have come at a worse time': Collapsed builder leaves 241 creditors with nothing

Banyan Constructions collapsed earlier this year, and a report from liquidators has now revealed that the $22 million owed to creditors — mostly small, local businesses — will not be paid back.




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Adelaide buildings turn blue for senior police officer killed in car crash

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.




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'Look at it fly!': Pentagon releases footage of 'unidentified aerial phenomena'

Videos of unidentified flying objects have been officially released by the Department of Defense after unauthorised distribution in 2007 and 2017.




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Coles, Woolworths ease coronavirus restrictions on toilet paper

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




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Almost half the businesses interested in JobKeeper have not signed up. Here's why

Hundreds of thousands of employers who registered interest in JobKeeper have not signed up for the payment, citing ineligible workers, confusing rules and cashflow problems.




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'Relax the rhetoric': Businesses open, but coronavirus crackdown has customers 'nervous'

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.




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Stimulus payments leave households better off so far, but analysts warn of looming $60b hit

The Federal Government's stimulus package is supporting Australian households during the coronavirus pandemic, with a surge in unemployment payments more than offsetting the fall in income from job losses, according to the Commonwealth Bank.




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Coronavirus shutdowns leave expats unable to sell their homes in time to avoid hefty tax bills

Thousands of Australian expats fear they could be hit with large capital gains tax bills because they've been unable to return home due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, before a June 30 deadline that would have allowed them to sell their property to avoid liabilities.




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Military leaders warn we must prepare for a crisis worse than COVID-19

A confidential report commissioned by the Department of Defence predicted medical shortages, panic-buying and mass job losses a year before the COVID-19 outbreak.



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'A form of self-medication': The limitless power of music during times of crisis

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.




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Victoria criticises 'completely inappropriate' independent schools funding offer from Federal Government

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.




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Rex to double regional flights after second cash boost in a week

Fresh support from the Federal Government and several states means the key carrier will be able to increase services across its network.




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Chinese company suggests PNG relationship will suffer amid mine lease dispute

A major Chinese mining company warns the Papua New Guinean Government it faces "significant negative impact" on bilateral relations with China if the company doesn't get a lease extension on a gold mine in the country.




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Renters could find themselves in paradise as a wave of Airbnb homes hit the market

The major online platforms say rental listings are up 8-10 per cent compared to last year, as thousands of Airbnbs and other short-term rentals are expected to move to the long-term market as coronavirus halts travel.





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Markets surge on Fed's promise to act 'aggressively' to save a stalled economy

The ASX joins a global rally after the Federal Reserve says it will "aggressively" use its "full range of tools" to aid the recovery, as the US economy records its worst slump since the global financial crisis.




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Outback charter companies nosedive as pandemic grounds flights

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




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Authorities investigate aged care coronavirus cluster as Victoria records seven new cases

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.




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Restaurants and cafes recognise benefits of single-use plastics amid pandemic

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.




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Coronavirus update: China's Hubei province lowers emergency response level

The initial epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak will lower its emergency response level from tomorrow. These are the key coronavirus developments from Friday.





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House prices edge higher as both buyers and sellers leave the market during COVID-19 crisis

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.




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Pub owners to pay $380,000 in damages over secret beer tap deals

The directors of a prominent Adelaide hotels syndicate are ordered to pay $383,000 to their former business partners after a court found they concealed deals with major breweries over access to beer taps.




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These waters off South Africa have gone quiet, and 'huge alarm bells' are ringing

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.




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As restrictions are lifted in parts of Australia, some states announce more rules to be eased

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.




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In what's left of the Australian TV industry after coronavirus, will the next Secret Life be made?

Some are warning Australia's television industry is facing a crisis that could affect how much viewers pay for entertainment in the future, and whether the kinds of shows that have been hits in the past will continue to be made.




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Goodbye Game of Thrones, hello Normal People: Is the era of gratuitous on-screen sex over?

Sex and nudity is strewn across our TV and cinema screens, but for actors and audiences, there can be a cost. That's starting to change, says Normal People's on-set intimacy coordinator.




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In the middle of an economic crisis, one sector is experiencing a surprise 'COVID surge' in jobs

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.




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Coronavirus update: Italy sends millions back to work after two months at home

After two months in almost total lockdown, 4.5 million Italians are allowed to return to work today as the country with the second-highest coronavirus death toll begins to wind back some restrictions.