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

Samuel Clarke knows withdrawing his retirement savings early is not ideal, but he says the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent loss of business has left him no option.

The NSW Government releases the blueprint for the promised Metro West, revealing it will acquire 154 properties to accommodate the multi-billion dollar project.

A company linked to Labor figures that bought a mine for just $1 enjoyed multi-million-dollar refunds from its environmental bond after concessions from the Palaszczuk Government, documents show.

The major miners, energy and bank stocks led heavy selling on the Australian share market, which closed 5 per cent lower as selling accelerated in late trade.

The travel agent chain backs down from charging hundreds of dollars in cancellation fees for trips cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, following pressure from customers and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

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.

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.

Police in Malaysia confirm they are investigating a journalist over her reporting on mass raids targeting migrants and refugees amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

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.

James and Victoria Sylvester were refused a refund when their $10,000 holiday to Dubai was cancelled because of coronavirus. Now hundreds of consumers in similar situations are considering launching a class action.

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.

Up to a million Australians may have lost their jobs since social-distancing measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 ramped up, new ABS data suggests, while the Reserve Bank expects the economy to take a 10 per cent hit.

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

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.

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.

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

Michael Gunner issues his "first and final warning" to petrol companies to take action as the ACCC puts in its two cents on the NT's comparatively high fuel prices.

A small exploration company drilling for gold in Western Australia's Goldfields wants to change the perception that the resources sector is a "dirty industry" by using biodegradable bags for drill samples.

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.

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.

The retail giant Cotton On reverses its decision to exclude 200 staff from the JobKeeper program as it faces uproar from casual workers who say they are being unfairly denied the wage subsidy.

SunRice says it will guarantee Australian-grown rice returns to supermarkets in April if the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is changed so environmental water can be used to grow rice.

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.

Reforms recommended by the Banking Royal Commission, which uncovered widespread financial misconduct, will be delayed so the financial industry can recover from the coronavirus crisis, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announces.

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.