1. Scott Morrison calls for G7 to band together against economic coercion

Ahead of the G7 summit this weekend, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will deliver a speech to the Perth USAsia Centre today that says Australia "will be working with others to buttress the role of the World Trade Organisation and to modernise its rule book where necessary", adding that "the most practical way to address economic coercion is the restoration of the global trading body’s binding dispute settlement system".

2. Melbourne lockdown set to end tomorrow night

As two weeks of lockdown come to an end on Thursday night, restrictions in Melbourne are expected to be eased with the introduction of a 25km travel bubble. Masks are expected to remain compulsory indoors along with caps on public gatherings.

3. Bitcoin falls below US$32,000 following Colonial Pipeline ransom seizure

The price of bitcoin fell close to US$31,000 ($40,000) overnight before recovering to above US$33,000 ($42,600). While no clear reason for the fall is apparent, it may be linked to the seizure by US authorities of US$2.3 million ($3 million) in bitcoin from DarkSide, the group behind the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline last month.

4. Washington state anticipating high turnout for 'Joints for Jabs'

Following a slew of incentives from US states for residents to get vaccinated ranging from free beers to million-dollar lotteries, the state of Washington will now allow cannabis dispensaries to offer one pre-rolled joint to people who get their COVID-19 vaccine in-store.

5. Flat day for the S&P 500

The S&P 500 rose by just 0.74 points or 0.02% to 4,227.26 on Tuesday, about five points lower than its record high reached a month ago. The Dow Jones dipped 30.42 points or 0.09% to 34,599.82, while the Nasdaq rose by 43.19 points or 0.31% to 13,924.91.