Good morning, all.

1. There were 11 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Victoria overnight. There are now 94 active cases across the state. A key train line to and from Melbourne’s north, the Upfield line, was also added to the long list of Victorian exposure sites overnight.

2. Crime agencies believe Qantas has been infiltrated by bikies and other organised crime groups to facilitate the drug trade, the Nine papers report. A classified federal law enforcement operation named Project Brunello has determined that up to 150 Qantas staff are linked to criminality, including the international drug trade.

3. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the federal government would have to build and run a standalone facility if it wants more quarantine capacity in the state. “We don’t know how long the pandemic is going to be with us and I just say to the feds 5000 [people in quarantine] is all we can do in NSW at any one time,” Berejiklian told radio station 2GB this morning.

4. Australian developers are negotiating huge raises as the battle for tech talent intensifies. Closed international borders are seeing companies resort to all manner of incentives to try to fill vacancies, with some engineering roles remaining unfilled almost four months on since they were posted. Without a fully vaccinated population and the movement of migrants into the country, many in the industry expect the skill shortages will get worse and fear Australia will become less competitive as its digital economy falls behind.

5. Melbourne’s food vendors are “beyond consolable” due to the state’s latest COVID-19 lockdown, said Grazeland director John Forman. Like thousands of restaurants and cafes across the city, the new food precinct was open for takeaway over the weekend. But Forman expressed fears for venues, livelihoods, and even Melbourne’s international brand through the two-week shutdown.

6. With no sign of a property slowdown, many homebuyers are pushing their budgets to the limit to get into the market before prices skyrocket further. It’s a risky strategy for those buying in suburbs most likely to experience a market correction, experts warn. It comes as a new report released last week found some Sydney households are committing up to 70% of their income on mortgage repayments.

7. Apple employees are revolting against CEO Tim Cook over orders to return to the office. Workers say they feel “unheard” and “ignored” over the company’s new work policy. “Without the inclusivity that flexibility brings, many of us feel we have to choose between either a combination of our families, our well-being, and being empowered to do our best work, or being a part of Apple,” an open letter written by about 80 employees reads.

8. “Hacktivists” Anonymous may have been behind a video attacking Elon Musk’s cryptocurrency comments. The video accuses Musk of constantly trolling the crypto markets with tweets that “destroyed lives.” It follows an 8% slide in bitcoin’s value after Musk hinted at a split with the digital token.

9. Facebook’s VP of Global Affairs on Sunday shed light on the company’s decision to suspend Trump for two years. He affirmed the company’s view that Trump would be allowed back in 2023 so long as there wasn’t a risk to public safety. He said he didn’t think Facebook should be tasked with verifying the content users post for “precise accuracy.”

10. El Salvador is considering creating a law to recognise bitcoin in the same way as the US dollar. The country is partnering with digital-wallet firm Strike to create the necessary infrastructure.The country’s president said the move will generate jobs and provide financial inclusion.

BONUS ITEM

Interesting story here.

Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.