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?

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.

After a shaky start, Australian shares closed sharply higher, but were dragged down by the big four banks, as investors weigh up the impact of COVID-19 on dividends.

Australia's largest flour mill will produce an extra 50 million kilograms by the middle of the year as consumer demand goes through the roof.

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.

A union for call centre workers in the Philippines claims staff have been sleeping in the office in potentially unsafe conditions to help Telstra and Optus customers, despite the risk of the coronavirus.

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.

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.

Banyan Constructions collapsed earlier this year, and a report from liquidators has now revealed that the $22 million owed to creditors — mostly small, local businesses — will not be paid back.

The Transport Workers' Union urges the Federal Court of Australia to find that Qantas is still responsible for paying sick leave to 25,000 workers who have been stood down during the global coronavirus pandemic.

Customers will be able to buy multiple packets of toilet paper at the supermarket giants, although a number of other items remain restricted.

Hundreds of thousands of employers who registered interest in JobKeeper have not signed up for the payment, citing ineligible workers, confusing rules and cashflow problems.

Small businesses in Tasmania struggling to survive amid the coronavirus crisis call for clearer messaging from authorities, saying there is no point trading if customers are too nervous to leave home.

The Federal Government's stimulus package is supporting Australian households during the coronavirus pandemic, with a surge in unemployment payments more than offsetting the fall in income from job losses, according to the Commonwealth Bank.

Thousands of Australian expats fear they could be hit with large capital gains tax bills because they've been unable to return home due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, before a June 30 deadline that would have allowed them to sell their property to avoid liabilities.

A confidential report commissioned by the Department of Defence predicted medical shortages, panic-buying and mass job losses a year before the COVID-19 outbreak.

Panic buying, unsurprisingly, has led to a surge in Coles' sales, while the Crown Casino has picked up some new owners and Australian shares are having another volatile day.

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino accuses the Federal Government of using funding to "force" independent schools to undermine the state's strategy on face-to-face learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fuel prices have plummeted across Australia during the coronavirus pandemic, but the ACT Government says they are not falling quickly enough in Canberra — and they are going to do something about it if prices do not fall to below $1 per litre this weekend.

Funeral insurer Youpla, slammed by the banking royal commission in a previous brand iteration for misleading Indigenous customers, has now been denied a licence to provide financial services and prevented from signing up new customers.

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

Australians have seen a rare rise in inflation, as a series of crises conspired to push up the cost of essential groceries, but economists say consumers should see cheaper prices again now that panic buying has subsided.

The major online platforms say rental listings are up 8-10 per cent compared to last year, as thousands of Airbnbs and other short-term rentals are expected to move to the long-term market as coronavirus halts travel.

A Victorian businessman has given the Federal Government a detailed plan to help the struggling dairy industry get back on track — and give more money to farmers.

ANZ announces a 51 per cent slump in profits and defers paying a dividend as it braces for at least a billion-dollar hit from the COVID-19 recession.

The ASX joins a global rally after the Federal Reserve says it will "aggressively" use its "full range of tools" to aid the recovery, as the US economy records its worst slump since the global financial crisis.

While the fate of Virgin and Qantas makes headlines, Australia's outback aviation companies say they've been forgotten by authorities.

Victoria's total of COVID-19 cases rises to 1,361, as Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton reveals authorities are investigating three cases linked to a Melbourne aged care facility.

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 leaked expert report shows the Queensland Government was advised to stop further gas fracking in the state's sensitive Channel Country, but a separate department already extended gas exploration until 2030.

The initial epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak will lower its emergency response level from tomorrow. These are the key coronavirus developments from Friday.

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.

Thanks to a loophole in the Federal Government's JobKeeper legislation, Lewis Mullins has been earning far more than he did before the coronavirus pandemic. But the same can no longer be said for his younger colleagues.

After clearing one truck driver, police are still to interview another, following a fatal collision on Wednesday involving a man who died when his ute collided with a truck a carrying multiple vehicles.

Solid rainfall has boosted farmer confidence this season and, while uncertainty hangs over the global economy, many remain optimistic that agriculture will weather the storm.

Despite coronavirus restrictions sending auctions online and seeing many home sales abandoned, CoreLogic figures for April show prices continued to rise for the few properties that did sell.

ANZ's chief executive warns the Australian and New Zealand economies will be reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and take years to recover from the economic fallout.

The directors of a prominent Adelaide hotels syndicate are ordered to pay $383,000 to their former business partners after a court found they concealed deals with major breweries over access to beer taps.

US President Donald Trump seemingly increases his estimate of possible deaths from coronavirus to 100,000, up from 70,000 earlier in the week, as South Africa, Spain and some American states loosen their restrictions. These are the key coronavirus developments from today.

Elon Musk has seen Tesla's share price falling after a series of unusual tweets, including saying he would sell all his possessions.

Care about sustainable seafood? The waters off South Africa's iconic False Bay have "gone quiet", and experts believe it could be linked to your weekend fish and chips.

Property values fell slightly in some parts of Queensland in April but rose in others amid a sharp drop in sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At 14 years of age Zaynn Bird was a sub-par McDonald's employee. At 23 he owns one of his state's most impressive burger joints.

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.

Some 70,000 animals across Indonesia, including members of critically endangered species, are at risk of starvation as zoos struggle financially due to social distancing restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The community of mainly over-60s on St Huberts Island in NSW manages to stare down the threat of COVID-19 with music, exercise and good wine — and a fresh catch of fish delivered by doting grandsons.

Some are warning Australia's television industry is facing a crisis that could affect how much viewers pay for entertainment in the future, and whether the kinds of shows that have been hits in the past will continue to be made.

Sex and nudity is strewn across our TV and cinema screens, but for actors and audiences, there can be a cost. That's starting to change, says Normal People's on-set intimacy coordinator.

While the economic tsunami of coronavirus shutdowns hammers most sectors, WA's resources industry has jobs created on mine sites where providers of support services like catering, cleaning and maintenance are in high demand to keep mine sites safe.

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.