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.

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.

Fewer than 250 people have been on the International Space Station but Mission Impossible actor Tom Cruise looks set to become one of them, in part to "inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists".

Huge flames are filmed shooting up the side of a Middle Eastern residential tower shortly after residents finish their nightly Ramadan meal.

It was the first alternative-meat company to debut on the American stock exchange. But how is Beyond Meat coping 12 months on during a global pandemic?

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.

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.

Companies owned by the Chinese Government have been buying Australian water assets, with concerns raised about the level of scrutiny foreign investment of water is receiving.

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.