Hello team. Hope you all had restful weekends.

1. Here it is, folks – the big day. Victoria recorded ZERO new coronavirus cases and ZERO deaths today. It’s the first time since June 9 no cases have been recorded statewide. Test results from the outbreak in Melbourne’s northern suburbs are all showing negative this morning. Of course, the calls to pull Melbourne out of lockdown are going to be even harder to ignore now, based on these figures.

2. NSW reported zero locally acquired cases yesterday, and seven in hotel quarantine. NSW Health still insists it is important people in Sydney’s west, south-west and south-east remain vigilant and seek testing for any symptoms, as there have been several cases of local transmission there in recent weeks.

3. NAB issued an update at the end of last week announcing profits are expected to take a $450 million hit. Underpaid staff are one major factor, with the bank expecting it will now need to reimburse them $128 million. When it uncovered the error back in December, the big bank thought $850,000 would be enough to cover the discrepancy. Slight difference there.

4. Qantas had expected its domestic flights to operate at 60% of pre-COVID capacity by now, but state border closures have seen this level hover below 30%. Speaking at the Qantas Group AGM, CEO Alan Joyce attributed this lower level to timing. “Essentially, this is a timing issue,” he said in a statement. “We know the upswing will materialise – just later than planned.”

5. Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes held talks with US company ViacomCBS about a possible merger with Ten, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Such a move, which could have included Channel Seven and newspaper The West Australian, would have massively reshaped the local media industry.

6. A lobby group representing hundreds of post offices is backing Australia Post CEO Christina Holgate, encouraging members to send Scott Morrison $5 notes to cover the cost of the infamous Cartier watches. Licensed Post Offices Group’s executive director, Angela Cramp, called Holgate “the best CEO that Australia Post has ever had”.

7. Daily coronavirus cases in the U.S. have risen nearly 40%, on average, since the start of October. Experts worry these cases will lead to the nation’s deadliest surge of infections yet, as more people gather indoors for the holidays and become more lax about masks and social distancing. The U.S. is also approaching peak flu season, which can lead to overcrowding at hospitals.

8. SpaceX has rocketed nearly 900 Starlink satellites into orbit to build a high-speed internet service. Elon Musk, the company’s founder, says Starlink will soon open for a public beta, followed by paid U.S. service shortly thereafter. Early results are promising, with high speeds and low latencies. But Starlink faces significant challenges in terms of the network’s capacity, effects on astronomy, and creation of space debris.

9. More than 57 million Americans have already voted as of Sunday, according to the U.S. Elections Project. The Florida professor who runs the U.S. Elections Project said it suggests a total turnout of 65%, which would be the highest since 1908. Of those to vote early, almost twice as many are registered Democrats than Republicans, per the states which provide such data. However, an increased turnout does not automatically favour one candidate.

10. Singapore Airlines is launching a non-stop flight between Singapore and New York City in November, its first flight to the region since March. The route will be the longest in the world at 8,287 nautical miles – two nautical miles longer than the Singapore-Newark route. Flights will operate using a similar aircraft type, with seats available in business class, premium economy class, and economy class.

BONUS ITEM

Booking a trip with Luxury Escapes? You can now fly to your destination by private jet. That is, if you’re willing to part with $17,500 per person for a two-night stay.

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