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.

Whether or not employers can demand eligible JobKeeper workers do extra shifts to meet the $1,500-a-fortnight payment is causing confusion and chaos in the hospitality industry.

Regional Queensland communities with no coronavirus cases want to reopen their businesses, saying their local economies should not suffer because of outbreaks in the state's south east.

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.

A major redevelopment was hoped to revitalise WA's historic port city, but the coronavirus pandemic has instead left businesses empty with workers, tourists and locals forced to stay away.

The collective European economy will contract by 7.7 per cent this year and debt will skyrocket, with Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal among the hardest hit by the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

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.

Premier Daniel Andrews defends the work of contact tracers as 13 more coronavirus cases are linked to a cluster at Cedar Meats in Melbourne's west.

A new player emerges in Australia's live-export industry, with its maiden voyage due to leave Townsville port tonight.

South Australia's Independent Commissioner Against Corruption confirms he is investigating allegations of improper conduct by the vice-chancellor of the University of Adelaide.

Some festivals are pushing ahead with dates for later this year, despite uncertainty around how to safely mingle once public gathering laws are eased and what the spread of the virus will look like in the second half of 2020.

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.

Vodaphone Hutchison Australia's boss says the deal is now a step closer to reality and plans are in place to bring the two companies together mid-year.

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.

A Queensland dairy farmer says the Dairy Code of Conduct is 'worthless' in its current state after negotiations with a processor for a new milk contract failed.

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".

The rate of new homes being built in WA falls to a historic low, as the housing industry is hit by the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic just after it was emerging from a five-year slump.

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.

A coronavirus outbreak at a Melbourne abattoir has left consumers wondering about food safety — but experts say meat is still very safe to eat, and any risk is "ridiculously small".

Australian shares rise, including Macquarie Group, despite slashing its dividend. The Australian Banking Association say a further 100,000 loans were deferred over the past week.

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.

Disposable cups are currently the only option for most cafe owners to provide takeaway coffee to customers, but environmentalists are worried about the consequences.

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.

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.

After thousands of customers reported missing money from mortgage redraw facilities, the bank apologises for not communicating with customers and promises to do better.

The US economy lost a staggering 20.5 million jobs in April, the steepest plunge in payrolls since the Great Depression, but President Donald Trump says "all those jobs will be back" very soon.

University students and their landlords are at loggerheads over who should pay for accommodation neither can use after students were sent packing.

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.

Many Queenslanders rejoice that some coronavirus restrictions will soon be lifted but what does this mean for the state's restaurateurs and publicans?

Young Australians need to be prepared now for the next major financial shock as the coronavirus pandemic reveals some families do not understand the long-lasting impact of the decisions they are making, experts say.

One year after releasing its plan to drag the NT budget out of structural deficit, the Labor Government says a third of its promises have been implemented in full. But some key measures are still in the works and the Opposition is demanding a better look at the books.

Entertainers speak of the shock of COVID-19 restrictions on their working lives and what they've had to do to keep audiences — and money — coming in.

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.

Canada's trade deficit widened to more than $1.4 billion in March, as the COVID-19 pandemic dragged down both imports and exports to their lowest levels in years.

The world's third-largest cruise ship operator cast doubt on its ability to stay afloat as a company for much longer, even as one of its biggest rivals said it is taking its first tentative steps toward reopening after COVID-19.

With more businesses reopening, some employees are anxious about going back to work, worried their health could be at risk and wondering if they have any rights not to return. Here's what you need to know about your employment obligations if you are called back to work and any recourse you may have.

Shares in Canadian e-commerce firm Shopify Inc. surged on Wednesday after the company said more and more businesses are signing up for the its online selling platform during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bombardier Inc. said it has started the gradual resumption of manufacturing operations at both its aircraft and rail operations that had been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as it reported a loss of $200 million US in its first quarter.

Shoppers tired of waiting in line outside a supermarket, or trying to secure a slot with one of the overbooked grocery delivery apps, have new options to bring groceries home. Startups and established companies alike are eager to offer Canadians fresh alternatives during the COVID-19 lockdown and beyond.

General Motors says it plans to restart some production at its engine plant in St. Catharines, Ont. next week ahead of a wider restart of North American operations the week of May 18.

Some 3.1 million Americans filed for government jobless benefits in the week ended May 2, bringing the total number of newly unemployed people since the pandemic began to more than 33 million.

Greyhound Canada will halt all of its bus routes in Canada starting May 13 because of the coronavirus.

Neiman Marcus, the 112-year-old storied luxury department store chain, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the first department store chain to be toppled by the coronavirus pandemic.

Montreal-based shoe chain Aldo Group is seeking protection from its creditors in Canada, the United States and Europe because of disruptions caused by COVID-19.