Restaurants, cafes and shops are given the green light to reopen and local and regional travel is on the cards under the first step of National Cabinet's plan to ease coronavirus restrictions.

The message from a large proportion of the population who want to get back to business is 'tighten the borders and re-open South Australia', even if the rest of the country remains in lockdown.

The ACT Education Minister's decision to cut short remote learning in favour of returning students to class has caught many parents and teachers off-guard, with some calling the decision "deeply disappointing and stupid".

Up to 10 patrons will be allowed in pubs, restaurants and cafes in a week's time, in the first step of a gradual unwinding of coronavirus contact restrictions across Queensland, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announces.

International travel remains on hold for "the foreseeable future" as the Government announces plans to open up local, regional and interstate travel.

Cyber security experts and the State Opposition say there are still questions to be answered after an article published in the New York Times claimed an Israeli software company found hackers with links to China had sent malware in an email sent to the Premier's office in January.

With climate change a growing topic of discussion, what can everyone do to ensure the future of the planet?

Thousands gathered in Sydney to demand climate change action in the midst of a devastating bushfire season.

Falling demand for electricity caused by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic could leave WA's main electricity system at risk of a solar power overload within months, experts have warned.

With the shutdown of an estimated 100 film and TV shoots, many of the sector's 30,000 workers lost their entire income overnight and say they can't access the Government's job assistance schemes.

Virgin Australia captain George Kailis has been flying planes for almost 20 years, but fears for himself and co-workers as the company looks likely to enter into voluntary administration.

In an open letter to Virgin employees, Sir Richard Branson calls on the UK Government to help save Virgin Atlantic, while warning against allowing Qantas "a monopoly" should Virgin Australia "disappear".

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

For Queensland, the pain of a possible collapse of Virgin Australia runs deep, with nearly half of its workforce based in the state.

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.

The Australian share market ends higher, despite Wall Street giving up most of its gains after leaked test results of a potential COVID-19 treatment prove disappointing.

The Victorian Government announces a proposal for a 101-storey building is one of four to be approved amid moves to fast-track development in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

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".

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.

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.

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.

The Million Dollar Fish competition was designed to lure fishermen to the Northern Territory. But a consultant's report obtained by the ABC shows registrations have fallen by half in five years.

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.

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.

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.

Michael Waite ran for office in Washington and worked for Bill Gates' private investment company, but helping establish a community newspaper could be his toughest challenge yet.

Canberra petrol retailers will need to meet weekly fuel price targets to avoid the ACT Government regulating the market, despite prices dropping to about $1 per litre after the Chief Minister threatened to cap margins.

The US President said China tried to cover up the coronavirus outbreak before trying to blame other countries for the ensuing health pandemic.

Australian shares rise, Qantas secures extra funding to get through the coronavirus crisis and US markets edge higher led by Microsoft, Apple and Amazon.

Norfolk Island is the only place in Australia you can dine in a cafe and gather outdoors with 50 people.

A peak industry body says South Australia's 12-day stretch without any new coronavirus cases has created a "high level of expectation" that pubs will reopen.

One WA couple who fell victim to a tractor ad scam wants others to know about the dangers, as NT Consumer Affairs uncovers more than 20 similar sites.

The local share market closes lower, despite some retail stocks rallying after sales surged in March, while the corporate regulator warns of the dangers of day trading for individual investors.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.