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Virgin Atlantic lays off thousands of staff as more trouble hits Richard Branson's brand

Just weeks after Virgin Australia goes into voluntary administration, UK-based Virgin Atlantic is forced to lay off thousands of workers as the coronavirus pandemic takes a heavy toll.




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'There's got to be a better way': Exploration company pushes to reduce plastic bags

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.




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Historic burnt-out cottage and house overlooking gorge attract $3.2 million price tag

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.




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Calls for State Government to help thousands of local council staff who are without pay

The state's peak body for local councils is calling on the Victorian Government to help more than 5,000 council staff who are without work and ineligible for JobKeeper, amid calls for a rates freeze for property owners.




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Hemp smoothies, muesli among creative uses of first edible organic crop

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




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An unthinkable event tore Fremantle's heart out, just as the port city was on the brink of renewal

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.




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Coronavirus has delivered some scary numbers for Europe, and more are ahead — the financial cost

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.




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ASX falls, miners rise as iron ore drives record trade surplus

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.




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Mother's Day visits off the table as Victorian Premier defends coronavirus contact tracing efforts

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.




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How soon will music festivals return?

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.




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'There's going to be enormous poverty': Research points to big surge in renting

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.




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Commonwealth Bank temporarily closes 114 branches due to coronavirus impacts

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




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'Nothing changes today': Victorians must wait until Monday to learn when shutdown measures will ease

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".




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An industry which employs 120,000 people in WA is at an historic low after it was hit hard and fast

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.




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Is your steak safe to eat? Abattoir coronavirus outbreak leaves consumers wondering

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".




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Queensland's mine minister refuses to resign following Moranbah mine blast

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.




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South Australia set to reopen as authorities relax 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.




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ME Bank responds to customer outcry over missing cash

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




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US economy 'on life support' as unemployment soars to nearly 15 per cent

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.




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Who cops the bill? Students, landlords clash over who's to pay for housing amid pandemic

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




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Just 100m separated these similar Sydney homes — here's why the price difference was $200,000

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.




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Coronavirus cases rise as Victorians wait for restrictions to be eased

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.




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As the day unfolded: Scott Morrison says Australia's COVID-19 restrictions to remain in place for at least four weeks, nation's death toll stands at 65

If you suspect you or a family member has coronavirus you should call (not visit) your GP or ring the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.




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The life and tumultuous times of Malcolm Turnbull

Hear chief political correspondent David Crowe's story on Malcolm Turnbull's autobiography followed by a discussion with Good Weekend editor Katrina Strickland.




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Auschwitz: The final witness

“In seeing the mass of people coming in and out day after day, butchered and gassed, and we did the work, how can you have peace of mind?”




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Please Explain podcast: is Australia close to eliminating COVID-19?

In today's episode of Please Explain, Liam Mannix joins Tory Maguire to discuss government modelling that indicates Australia is on track to eliminate the virus.




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'Let us out, let us live in peace': Tamil mum asks to go home to Biloela

Fresh from victory in the Federal Court a Tamil mother wants government to give her family a normal life in Australia after two years in detention.




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No hustle. No bustle. Emptiness and stillness fill the streets

As the Great Lockdown continues our cities are looking strangely familiar yet eerily different.




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The Great Lockdown is a sledgehammer busting dreams that won't bounce back

It’s like a giant version of the Kings Cross lockout.




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It wasn't planned but Australia is on the verge of an exciting possibility

Scott Morrison might not like to admit it, but we are accidentally within sight of eliminating COVID-19.




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As the day unfolded: Global COVID-19 cases surpass 2.2 million, Australian death toll stands at 69

If you suspect you or a family member has coronavirus you should call (not visit) your GP or ring the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.




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Company 'knew' virus was running rampant on Ruby Princess, court told

In a series of explosive allegations, Princess Cruises has been accused of recklessly endangering lives.




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A luminary of Australian science fiction

Mervyn Binns, well-known Melbourne bookseller who specialised in science fiction, fantasy and counter cultural literature, has died aged 85.




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Climate hope shines through virus clouds

The enforced lockdowns also offer a glimpse of how a cleaner world could look.




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Economic lockdown causes big reduction in air pollution globally

Researchers believe the reduction in air pollution from a one-year lockdown could prevent 780,000 premature deaths globally.




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Meet the Sydney-born virologist who became Greece's coronavirus 'hero'

Sotiris Tsiodras has been rated the most popular person in Greece for helping the country avoid disaster.




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Don't touch the flags! Golfers find a fairway to beat coronavirus handicap

Sydney golf clubs have never been more booked up as players flock to the greens for a dose of the outdoors.




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A city of homebodies? How coronavirus will change Sydney

From washing hands to working from home, the coronavirus has dramatically altered city life. But will these changes last?




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Sign up to sex abuse redress scheme or lose funding, government warns

Victorian private schools, religious entities and other organisations who don't sign up to a redress scheme for child sex abuse survivors may lose funding, the state government has warned.




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Seven in 10 suspended kindergarten kids have a disability, new figures show

Advocacy groups say children are being sent home for behaviour they cannot control; staff say other students are being put at risk.




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The former PM's words that left us shocked

A once confident and optimistic former Prime Minister reveals his pain.




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YouTube sermons and prayers at home: Muslims prepare for 'a very different Ramadan'

The coronavirus pandemic has forced significant changes to how Australia's Muslim community observe the holy month of Ramadan.




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Sports fear exodus of COVID kids

Closing more than 1000 public pools, 2400 soccer clubs and 608 gymnastics centres has helped flatten the curve, but may fatten a generation of COVID kids.




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Neither Sweden nor NZ: Australia must steer its own COVID-19 course

With some modifications, Australia must keep its social-distancing restrictions in place until after winter.




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As the day unfolded: Australia's COVID-19 deaths rise to 71, WHO defends China's revised death toll

If you suspect you or a family member has coronavirus you should call (not visit) your GP or ring the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.




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'We are in a war': Why the construction industry is too big to fail

Construction sites, large and small, remain open even as other industries have been shut down or curtailed because of the coronavirus pandemic.




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Former Spice Girl in trademarks battle with Australian skincare company

Fashion designer Victoria Beckham has taken a Sydney-based skincare company to court over two trademarks using the letters "VB".




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We need Ghebreyesus to lead WHO through this crisis

We blame the captain when we find our modest paddle-steamer unable to weather a hurricane. But this UN agency's failings are by design.




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As the day unfolded: Global COVID-19 cases surpass 2.3 million, US death toll approaching 40,000, Australia's death toll stands at 71

If you suspect you or a family member has coronavirus you should call (not visit) your GP or ring the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.




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Please Explain podcast: how Australia bypassed WHO's China problem

Anthony Galloway joins Tory Maguire to discuss China's relationship with the WHO and why Australia has stepped away from the organisations messaging.