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'Right to repair' taken up by the ACCC in farmers' fight to fix their own tractors

The competition and consumer watchdog has launched an inquiry into whether tractor manufacturers are failing farmers who want the right to repair their own machinery.




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Coles workers demand better protection against coronavirus after hand sanitiser switch

Workers say the supermarket giant is not providing them with the best possible protection against coronavirus after their complaints were dismissed by the head office.




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Grattan Institute projects 3.4 million Australians will lose jobs, and predicts which industries will be hit hardest

The think tank predicts between 14 and 26 per cent of the entire Australian workforce will lose their job, if they haven't already, as a result of government shutdowns and physical distancing rules.




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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.




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Kids head back to school in the NT, where there have been no new coronavirus cases for two weeks

Anxious parents express their relief as kids in the Northern Territory head back into the classroom for term two after homeschooling when the COVID-19 crisis first hit.




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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.




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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.




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600,000 people out of a job, 1.6 million with no income from work: ABS estimates the initial cost of coronavirus

A new survey from the ABS shows the extreme effect of coronavirus social-distancing measures on employment, with well over a million workers losing their incomes in the space of a month.




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US oil price falls below $0 for first time

The benchmark price for US crude plummeted to negative $US35.20 a barrel as traders sought to avoid owning crude with nowhere to store it.




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'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.




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ASX falls as US oil price collapses, Wall Street tanks

Australian shares drop in the wake of US oil prices falling below zero for the first time, underscoring the chaos the COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed on the global economy.





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One of the world's few micronations celebrates its 50th, but is the Hutt River Province dream over?

On this day 50 years ago, WA farmer Leonard Casley "stuck his nose up" at the Federal Government and seceded from Australia, forming the micronation the Principality of Hutt River.




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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.




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'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.




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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.




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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.




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Australia faces biggest economic contraction since Great Depression, Reserve Bank warns

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe warns Australia's unemployment rate is likely to hit 10 per cent by June, and even though Australia will recover, the coronavirus emergency "will cast a shadow over our economy for some time to come".




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Opposition accuses Government of scaring Victorians with 'worst-case scenario' modelling

The modelling predicts more than a quarter of a million jobs could be lost in Victoria due to the coronavirus pandemic in what Premier Daniel Andrews says is the perhaps the "biggest economic and employment challenge" in the state's history.




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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.




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Brent oil futures drop to near two-decade low amid falling demand and storage woes

With the world experiencing "the biggest supply and demand disparity in history", benchmark Brent oil futures fall to their lowest level since November 2001.




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ASX claws back losses to end flat, oil meltdown deepens

Australian shares recoup earlier losses as retailers and banks rise, after initial falls were spurred by oil prices falling to their lowest value in 18 years.




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Netflix adds 15 million subscribers but warns coronavirus lockdown boom won't last

The hit show Tiger King and self-isolation measures boost the world's largest streaming service, which has added millions of new customers so far this year.




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'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.




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Australia capitalises on low fuel prices to establish stockpile in US

Australia will buy fuel from the US at historic low prices to bolster its national stockpile, after criticisms that the Government only holds about 30 days' worth of fuel in domestic storage, far below the 90-day minimum.




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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.




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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.




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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


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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.




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Concerns over who gets access if a successful coronavirus vaccine is discovered

As numerous laboratories race to develop a coronavirus vaccine, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation warns that it can't just be available to people in wealthy countries.




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Virgin Australia's 'haircut' will have a 'domino effect' on jobs

The future of Australian aviation is crucial for the wider tourism sector, which is already bleeding because of recent travel bans initiated to stop the spread of COVID19.




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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.




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'Wet season, COVID-19, wet season': Coronavirus has left northern WA tourism on the brink

Kimberley tourism operators brace for "18 months of pain" as COVID-19 decimates the northern tourist season.




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Science denial among top 10 greatest risks to humankind, new report claims

A new report has ranked disdain for scientific knowledge as one of humanity's biggest threats, alongside climate change, nuclear war, and artificial intelligence.




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Competition watchdog warns Qantas against anti-competitive behaviour

The ACCC warns Qantas it will take swift action against anti-competitive behaviour such as attempts to swamp airline routes, artificially push down prices or lock in exclusive deals with airports and suppliers.




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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.




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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.




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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".




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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.




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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.




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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.




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These three people's lives have changed because the pokies have shut down

The coronavirus shutdown has negatively affected so many aspects of the economy, but for these Australians, the closure of pokies rooms has changed life for the better.




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'It takes a village': Tourist town turns to good grub for coronavirus solace

With 100 per cent of the bookings cancelled at his boutique business, a country chef decides to use his culinary skills to help others through the pandemic.





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Demographer warns of the 'missing children' of COVID-19

An ANU demographer is "concerned" the coronavirus pandemic will result in an accelerated reduced birthrate and a decline in future taxpayers, affecting Australia's socioeconomic future.




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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?




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'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.




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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.




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Call centre staff in the Philippines have been sleeping at work to help Australian customers

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.