y

Australian Government tells Facebook and Google to pay for news

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says a mandatory code will help "level the playing field" by requiring digital platforms such as Google and Facebook to pay news media businesses for the content they produce.




y

One year after its launch, Canberra's light rail patronage has plummeted

Light rail was officially launched one year ago in Canberra and, up until the COVID-19 outbreak, was proving more popular than first estimated. The government announced an increase in frequency to help alleviate the peak hour crush earlier this year, but now, the carriages are running empty.




y

Airline bailout push turns ugly as Queensland Minister warns NSW Treasurer to 'back right off'

Queensland's State Development Minister Cameron Dick is warning the NSW Treasurer to "back off" over a move to lure Virgin Australia from Brisbane to Sydney as part of a possible bailout package for the embattled airline.




y

Victorian suppression of COVID-19's spread 'more successful than maybe we could have even imagined'

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton reveals theoretical modelling which suggests 36,000 people could have been killed by coronavirus in Victoria if no physical-distancing measures were put in place.




y

$52.8m boost for aeromedical capacity to respond to rural COVID-19 cases

The funding for services like the RFDS will allow them to evacuate coronavirus patients to larger medical centres and fly in medical workers and equipment for regional respiratory clinics.




y

ACTU secretary tells Q+A the Government is 'spying' on union leaders

ACTU secretary Sally McManus tells Hamish Macdonald the Government taps the phones of union chiefs, while economist Gigi Foster causes a stir by saying the coronavirus lockdown may not be worth the cost.




y

Virgin Australia expected to go into voluntary administration

Virgin Australia is expected to announce the airline will go into voluntary administration, with Deloitte tipped to help the company restructure about $5 billion in debt and pay off its creditors.




y

'Everything has to change' — The new laws to deal with Victoria's coronavirus emergency

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.




y

'No job losses planned' as Virgin Australia goes into voluntary administration

Australia's troubled second airline, which saw its cash flow collapse because of tough coronavirus travel restrictions, appoints accounting firm Deloitte to act as administrator after the Federal Government rejected calls to bail it out.




y

Between a croc and a hard place: Inside a farming couple's fight to save their scaly charges

Farmer John Lever and his wife Lillian say their Koorana Crocodile Farm has just two weeks of food left to feed 3,000 crocodiles, so they're offering an 'adopt a croc' program to raise funds.




y

'Tremendously sad': Barrie Cassidy and Annika Smethurst on why regional media matters

What do Barrie Cassidy, Annika Smethurst, Tony Wright and Sean Murphy have in common? They all got their start on country newspapers. And recent mass closures have had a visceral impact on each of them.




y

Young people dominate nearly 800,000 job losses since COVID-19 crisis escalated

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a 5.5 per cent slump in jobs in the first week after extensive business shutdowns and social-distancing limits were introduced to contain the virus, new ABS figures show.




y

Worker killed in industrial accident at quarry north of Adelaide

Police and paramedics are at the scene of a fatal industrial accident at Truro north of Adelaide, where a man has been killed.




y

From flying planes to stacking shelves — Virgin Australia staff react to airline's insolvency

Virgin Australia's potential collapse has left staff scrambling for jobs, as tourism and aviation industries prepare for the threat of major player leaving the market.




y

The live export cattle price to Indonesia has crashed, why?

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.




y

Company charged $42 for box of masks in January, now charging $780

Health professionals are incensed by dramatic price increases for face masks and other protective equipment by one of Australia's largest medical supply companies.




y

Could smaller nuclear reactors be a possible energy source for Queensland?

The debate over nuclear technology is a controversial one, yet many leaders in the field believe it's time for an open and calm discussion about the energy alternative.




y

COVID-19 hoarding triggers record surge in retail sales, but a payback is coming

Supermarket and grocery store turnover leapt 22 per cent in March on panic buying of toilet paper and food but sales are expected to fall as stockpiling subsides and major retailers, including Myer, extend shutdowns.




y

'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.




y

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.




y

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.




y

Waiting on a parcel from Australia Post? This is why it's taking so long

As Australians stay at home, and with many bricks and mortar stores closed, more of us are shopping online, placing a huge strain on the postal service.



  • COVID-19
  • Diseases and Disorders
  • Infectious Diseases (Other)
  • Epidemics and Pandemics
  • Health
  • Business
  • Economics and Finance
  • Community and Society

y

Petrol stations taking 'too long to pass on savings', ACCC says

At a time when the economy is suffering the ACCC is calling on the petrol retailers to pass on the full benefit of the falling oil price to motorists.




y

'Quite a number of angry phone calls': Thousands sign NT landlords' petition against renters' rights to pets

Property owners are calling for pet-friendly tenancy laws to be scrapped before they are even enacted in the Northern Territory, as the Parliament prepares to vote on protections for renters during the pandemic.





y

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.




y

From patient zero to the world: COVID-19's devastating global journey

The spread of today's scourge may seem breathtaking in its scale and carnage, but in some ways we are lucky. We could be dealing with a modern-day plague with global deaths measured in their hundreds of millions.




y

ASX slips as health stocks drag, oil rally boosts energy stocks

The Australian share market eases from early gains. US stocks rise on more money from Congress, oil prices bouncing off record lows and more optimistic corporate outlooks.




y

Hundreds of thousands granted early access to $3.8b in superannuation

Nearly half a million Australians have had applications for early access to their superannuation approved, totalling $3.8 billion in early payments, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says.




y

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.




y

Cheaper Australian-made ventilator offers greater ICU capability option amid coronavirus pandemic

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.




y

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.




y

'Sad for everyone': Coronavirus may bankrupt Kokoda tour operators

For Papua New Guineans and tour operators who get their income from the Kokoda track, April is usually their busiest time of year — but coronavirus might be putting a stop to that.





y

Quest backs down after trying to 'bully' apartment owners into accepting rent holiday

Since the 1970s, the Degenhardts dreamed of retiring to Gerroa. Their dream became a reality — but retirement got tougher this month when they were told their supposedly guaranteed monthly income would not be paid until July due to coronavirus.




y

Feeding the needy skilled migrants, students and working holidaymakers

Jobless international hospitality workers deemed ineligible for the Federal Government's JobKeeper and JobSeeker programs are "heartbroken" at their treatment and turning to restaurants providing free meals during the coronavirus pandemic.




y

Workplaces warned to be ready to respond immediately if COVID-19 emerges, as restrictions are 'gradually relaxed'

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".




y

'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.




y

NT Government suspends debate as emergency coronavirus legislation rushed through Parliament

Renters in the NT will be protected from eviction for up to four months after more coronavirus emergency legislation passes parliament. But the Opposition and independents say Labor is avoiding scrutiny of its measures, following the suspension of Question Time.




y

I took a risk for my dream job — and now I'm grounded on the other side of the planet

The decision to give up a well-paid job to learn how to fly planes already seemed risky. But then the coronavirus hit, and my dreams came crashing back to the tarmac, writes Victoria Bryan.




y

How insulated is Australia's space industry from the COVID-19 crisis?

An Australian company that's set to own the world's largest privately operated rocket test range says the Australian space industry is well protected from the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.




y

Top Sydney restaurant delivers fine dining in a $110 takeaway box

The COVID-19 outbreak may have forced them to close their doors, but some of Sydney's most revered restaurants won't let that stop them from giving their customers the fine dining experience at home.




y

Coronavirus relief loans offered via SMS prompt call to ban payday lenders

Consumer advocates call for a ban on short-term loans because of concerns loan sharks are using text messages to target vulnerable people affected by the coronavirus pandemic.




y

What does Tasmania's economy face post-coronavirus?

CommSec's State of the States latest report reveals Tasmania's economy performing stronger than it had for more than 10 years. But that was before the coronavirus crisis hit. What's ahead?




y

Italy to fully reopen restaurants, bars from June

More than two months after the first case of COVID-19 appeared in a small town outside Milan, Italy prepares a staged end to Europe's longest coronavirus lockdown.



  • COVID-19
  • Diseases and Disorders
  • Health
  • Infectious Diseases (Other)
  • Government and Politics
  • Business
  • Economics and Finance

y

NAB asks shareholders for $3.5b to protect the bank against 'very uncertain times'

In an extremely unusual move, National Australia Bank reports its results to the stock exchange almost a fortnight early as it seeks an extra $3.5 billion of investment from shareholders.




y

'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.




y

Planning some retail therapy this weekend? Best to check what stores will open

An easing of coronavirus restrictions means non-essential shopping has the green light from this weekend, but that doesn't mean all the stores are ready to throw open their doors immediately.




y

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.




y

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.