Westpac joins ANZ in deferring its interim dividend as it braces for the financial impact of COVID-19, but mounting issues around money laundering and tax reporting may cost it almost as much.

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.

The Australian share market closes higher, shaking off initial falls, while Afterpay shares surge after revealing investment by Chinese firm Tencent. Job ads fell by 50 per cent in April as coronavirus hit businesses.

The fallout from harsh border closures means many WA tourism businesses will struggle to stay afloat for longer than six months given a huge drop in revenue.

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.

Australian shares rise, Qantas secures extra funding to get through the coronavirus crisis and US markets edge higher led by Microsoft, Apple and Amazon.

Norfolk Island is the only place in Australia you can dine in a cafe and gather outdoors with 50 people.

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.

Are you a business that wants to reopen on May 15? The Government has released the COVID-19 Safety Plan checklist you must complete before doing so.

While tough coronavirus restrictions have saved thousands of lives, Scott Morrison says the country is now in a position to start clawing back some of the $4 billion lost every week that restrictions continue. Here are the key takeaways from his press conference.

New data shows how hard the impact of the coronavirus has been on women's jobs as a leading economist worries about the long-term impact for women in the workforce.

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

Fewer than 250 people have been on the International Space Station but Mission Impossible actor Tom Cruise looks set to become one of them, in part to "inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists".

The two cottages are up for sale in a historic part of Launceston but one of the buildings will likely cost hundreds of thousands to repair.

Companies owned by the Chinese Government have been buying Australian water assets, with concerns raised about the level of scrutiny foreign investment of water is receiving.

With nearly 730,000 businesses and 4.7 million employees signed up, JobKeeper looks like riding to the rescue of many livelihoods. But, as a key deadline looms, many look set to be locked out.

Almost 7,000 square kilometres of land will be released for coal and gas exploration in central and north Queensland as part of measures to ensure the survival of the resources sector through the coronavirus pandemic, the State Government says.

Australia's largest organic edible hemp crop is being harvested in Victoria's north west with agronomists talking up its food and fibre potential.

The Australian share market falls but iron ore mining stocks make gains after Australia posted a $10.6 billion trade surplus in March and iron ore exports rose.

Logic suggests a coronavirus slump may provide a window of opportunity for first homebuyers to enter the market. But a new report suggests the opposite may be true.

At least 11 people have been killed and hundreds more are in hospital after a chemical gas leak at an LG Polymers plant in southern India.

CBA says today's closure of 114 branches nationwide is temporary and due to a massive increase in online and telephone banking.

Premier Daniel Andrews says his Government will explain changes to the state's coronavirus restrictions on Monday, after the National Cabinet agrees to a three-step process of lifting restrictions to create a "COVID-safe economy".

Bundaberg Regional Council says a new report into the economic impact of lowering the height of Paradise Dam backs up its call to restore the dam to full capacity.

Anthony Lynham is under pressure from the Opposition to "fall on his sword" over the latest mining disaster, which saw four men critically injured in an underground blast at Anglo American's coal mine in central Queensland.

The number of Adelaide rail services has been radically reduced after a mechanical fault, with remaining trains becoming packed with passengers apparently in breach of social distancing.

SA's Premier announces a sweeping repeal of many of the state's current coronavirus restrictions, with outdoor dining at restaurants and cafes to resume from Monday — but caps on gatherings will remain.

Brazil's President says steps must be taken as soon as possible to bring Latin America's largest economy out of "intensive care", as controversy continues over the Government's handling of the coronavirus crisis.

A Sydney home sold just before COVID-19 restrictions came down in NSW for $200,000 more than a similar house around the corner — a real estate agent says online auctions are to blame for the price difference.

Eleven new coronavirus cases are identified in Victoria, four linked to the cluster at Cedar Meats, as infection rates fall in other states. Meanwhile, the Government is urging people not to abandon the restrictions before an announcement is made on Monday.