Summary
- The global death toll from coronavirus has passed 380,000 and there are more than 6.4 million known cases of infection, according to Johns Hopkins University
- A 53-year-old man who died in Bali late on Tuesday night may be the first Australian to perish of coronavirus in Indonesia
- Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said 25,000-30,000 homes or renovations are expected to be completed by the end of this year as part of the $688 million HomeBuilder program
- A total of 10 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Australia today - eight in Victoria and two in New South Wales.
- Sweden’s top epidemiologist has admitted his strategy to fight COVID-19 resulted in too many deaths
Latest updates
That's all for tonight
By Roy Ward
Broome is back as WA travel restrictions lifted
By Daile Cross
The Kimberley, Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku and parts of the East Pilbara will reopen on Friday after the federal government lifted the Commonwealth biosecurity restrictions.
Access to remote communities will remain restricted to continue to protect them from COVID-19.
It comes after the WA government lifted regional travel restrictions to all other parts of the state.
Shire of Broome president Harold Tracey said he was overjoyed for businesses in the area that had effectively sacrificed their incomes for the safety of the region.
“For us the Kimberley has probably been hit the hardest in terms of restrictions,” he said.
“We think it worked [the regional restrictions] and this is why we are able to be opened up tomorrow.”
He said bookings had already taken off since the state government announced the opening of the other regions across the state.
Money flows from Hong Kong to Singapore due to uncertainties
SINGAPORE: A record jump in money flowing into Singapore bank accounts from abroad underlines the city-state's safe haven appeal during the COVID-19 pandemic and political uncertainty in rival financial centre Hong Kong, analysts say.
Singapore fiercely competes with Hong Kong as Asia's premier wealth centre and generally attracts capital flows during regional turmoil due to its political stability and AAA credit rating.
Deposits from non-residents into the city-state's banks jumped 44% to a record S$62.14 billion ($44.37 billion) in April from a year earlier, marking the fourth straight monthly rise, central bank data showed.
Deposits have risen in all but one month over the past year, a period marked by escalating political unrest in Hong Kong, a trade tussle between the United States and China, and most recently a virus outbreak which poses the biggest threat to the world economy in nearly a century.
The data did not break down the origin of the inflows, but analysts say Hong Kong was an "obvious" source.
"Hong Kong has been a source of funds for obvious reasons," said Song Seng Wun, an economist at CIMB Private Banking. But, Song said the pandemic and pressure on regional currencies had fed fears of a currency crisis and capital flight, which were also contributory factors behind the inflows.
The data also showed foreign-currency deposits at banks in Singapore almost quadrupled to a record S$27 billion in April from a year earlier. They were up nearly 200% in the first four months of 2020 from the same period last year.
Non-resident deposits include funds from individuals and companies with registered addresses outside the city-state. Analysts say though the data gives a partial picture of flows, it is seen as a good gauge of market sentiment.
Bankers expect China's plans to impose national security legislation in Hong Kong could lead to more capital flight.
Andrea Choong, an analyst at CGS-CIMB Securities, said safe haven flows into Singapore should continue as long as regional uncertainties, such as those in Hong Kong and U.S.-China trade tensions, persist.
Reuters
Editorial: Protesters must ensure they tread a safe path
By The Age's View
Many Victorians intend to take to the streets on Saturday in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. It is a just cause, and one that resonates well beyond the borders of America. But in the time of a pandemic, a mass gathering of protesters does present a unique challenge to our customary freedoms of expression.
There was a fundamental principle that drove Australia's response to the pandemic: saving lives should sit above all other concerns. There was little argument to the contrary. Protecting life is a principle that underpins many of our public institutions and civil society. Victorians should support Black Lives Matter – 432 Indigenous Australians have died in custody since 1991.
Public protest plays an important part in the workings of a democratic society. It must have its limits, as all public discourse does in relation to the discrimination of certain groups and the use of violence, but otherwise the ability to take to the streets, in whatever form, must normally be fully supported.
But these are not normal times, and those wishing to gather face an unusual moral dilemma. While there is limited community transmission of COVID-19 in Victoria, large crowds could facilitate the transmission of the virus, putting their own lives and possibly others they come into contact with at risk. The potential dangers should not be taken lightly.
'I was paying my respects': Terry Lamb on his NRL biosecurity breach
By Christian Nicolussi
Canterbury risk being fined after club legend Terry Lamb was captured on camera breaching social distancing rules by shaking hands with several players, including star playmaker Kieran Foran.
Lamb was forced to undergo an urgent COVID-19 test on Thursday night and players ordered not to train again until his results were known, which was expected to be later Friday.
The 58-year-old Lamb emerged near the tunnel at Belmore Sports Ground earlier on Thursday and was seen greeting Foran, who will wear his famous No. 6 jersey in his 200th game on Monday, as well as local junior Brandon Wakeham and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Under strict biosecurity measures put in place by the NRL before the competition re-booted last weekend, there was to be no contact with players or anybody else inside the nominated 50-person "bubble".
'Mongrels': Kim's sister threatens S Korea, prompting ban on leaflets
Seoul: South Korea plans to push new laws to ban activists from flying anti-Pyongyang balloons full of leaflets over the border after North Korea threatened to end an inter-Korean military agreement reached in 2018 to reduce tensions if Seoul failed to prevent the protests.
The South's desperate attempt to keep alive a faltering diplomacy will almost certainly trigger debates over freedom of speech in one of Asia's most vibrant democracies.
A man watches a TV news program with a file image of Kim Yo-Jong, the powerful sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul.Credit:AP
The balloons have been a common activist tactic for years, but North Korea considers it an attack on its government. Defectors and other activists in recent weeks have used the leaflets to criticise the North's authoritarian leader Kim Jong-un over his nuclear ambitions and dismal human rights record.
While Seoul has sometimes sent police officers to block such activities during times of high tension, it had resisted the North's calls to fully ban them, saying the activists were exercising their freedoms.
The shift followed remarks earlier in the morning from Kim's powerful sister, who threatened to end the military agreement and said the North could permanently shut a liaison office and an inter-Korean factory park that have been major symbols of reconciliation.
The North has also postponed plans to tear down South Korean-made hotels and other facilities at the North's Diamond Mountain resort as part of its virus-prevention efforts. It has said there hasn't been a single case of COVID-19 on its territory, a claim widely disbelieved.
AP
Aussie expat family stranded in Airbnb for 10 weeks after COVID-19 travel ban
By Dana McCauley
Sophie Smith has been stranded in an Airbnb holiday rental property in Melbourne's Surrey Hills with her wife and three children for 10 weeks after flying to Australia to visit her dying father just before the border closed in March.
She is one of thousands trying to leave the country at a time when COVID-19 restrictions make this impossible in all but exceptional circumstances, with official data showing more than 10,000 people have lodged requests for permission to leave or enter Australia since the travel ban began.
Sophie Smith with her children Will, 4, Charlie, 6, and Lucy, 2.Credit:Penny Stephens
The family, normally based in Phuket in Thailand where the children go to school, faces uncertainty over whether they will be able to continue their expat life as they await the outcome of a request for an exemption from the Home Affairs department.
"I'm lucky the school doesn't go back until August," said Ms Smith, who works at an international school in Thailand.
"I came in from Phuket in March just as everything was shutting down. My dad had prostate cancer and he passed away ... The silver lining was I got to spend five weeks with him."
Reader reactions: Will you apply for a HomeBuilder grant?
Earlier today we put the question to readers about their interest in accessing the HomeBuilder grants and here are a selection of those reactions:
"My wife and I wanted to, but we earn just over the $200k income threshold. We are in the middle of getting quotes for a major extension, where the design phase started prior to COVID, with an expected value around $450k. We are really hesitant to start the job, as we feel it is a gamble in the current climate. A little boost would have helped." - Steve
"According to the application criteria I am illegible to apply as I’m a owner builder. As a owner builder we also need the services of bricklayers, carpenters etc and would put more money back into the economy rather than a licensed builder." - Clive
"Arguably one of this government's worst calls, although there is plenty of competition for that. Giving money to people to do something they were going to anyway just drives up the price." - Anonymous
Marvel Stadium tenant clubs anticipate home game revenue
By Peter Ryan
Tenant clubs at Marvel Stadium expect to receive home game payments in 2020 on terms similar to that struck between the AFL, the MCG and their tenant clubs.
St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne, Essendon and Carlton have deals to play home games at Marvel Stadium, with their contractual arrangements entitling them to receive revenue for home games played at the venue.
The AFL is working on a deal with Marvel Stadium and tenant clubs. Credit:Darrian Trainor
However, with COVID-19 restrictions meaning large crowds are banned from attending matches for the foreseeable future, and given a range of varied contractual obligations across the industry, the AFL have been working through what the deal might look like for the clubs in 2020.
On Wednesday, the AFL informed the tenant clubs they will receive payments for each home game, including the games played at the venue in round one without crowds when Essendon, the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne were the home teams.
Morrison defends HomeBuilder, says it will stop 30,000 projects being lost
By Roy Ward
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended his government’s $680 million HomeBuilder package after strong criticism today.
Mr Morrison said the program would allow families to renovate their homes and provide a stream of work for tradespeople and connected industries.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
But some have said the program was criticised by apartment builders and also by the Builders Collective of Australia lobby group who said it would have little impact on the work schedule of builders.
Mr Morrison told A Current Affair on Thursday night people would help many people.
“If you can't afford to go and build a new house and your kids are growing up and they need room, the option you have is to renovate your house,” Mr Morrison said.
“The average loan taken in Australia in the first three months of this year for those renovations was $164,000.
“That's what people do when they can't knock down the house and build another one or if they can't build a new home which can cost about $350,000.
"This program is all about getting 20,000 to 30,000 new starts on jobs and renovations to generate jobs in the residential building industry and support apprentices. It is about the jobs.”
Mr Morrison said his government estimated 20,000 people would access the scheme and they would be observing the uptake closely.
The Prime Minister also defended his government after being asked whether they would mess up these numbers after making significant costing errors in their JobKeeper program.
“We will see. These are estimates and uncertain times,” Mr Morrison said.
“We hope the people who may have pulled back from projects will feel more confident and we have added a lot of feedback today from the building industry who have received this very warmly.
“We understood that we are going to have a 30,000 drop off in the number of new home starts at the back end of this year so the program is very tightly constrained to try to get those projects [working].”
Most Viewed in National
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMi4gFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zbWguY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL2FzLWl0LWhhcHBlbmVkLWpvc2gtZnJ5ZGVuYmVyZy1zcHJ1aWtzLWhvbWVidWlsZGVyLXByb2dyYW0tYXMtYXVzdHJhbGlhLWZhbGxzLWludG8tcmVjZXNzaW9uLWdsb2JhbC1jb3ZpZC0xOS1jYXNlcy1zdXJwYXNzLTYtNC1taWxsaW9uLWFzLWF1c3RyYWxpYW4tZGVhdGgtdG9sbC1zdGFuZHMtYXQtMTAyLTIwMjAwNjAzLXA1NHo2by5odG1s0gEA?oc=5
2020-06-04 12:04:00Z
52780831497392
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "As it happened: Josh Frydenberg spruiks HomeBuilder program as Australia falls into recession; global COVID-19 cases surpass 6.4 million as Australian death toll stands at 102 - The Sydney Morning Herald"
Post a Comment