1. NSW requests assistance from the defence force

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has made a formal request to the federal government for 300 Australian Defence Force personnel to assist with the enforcement of lockdown restrictions in Sydney. "We’re seeing noncompliance at a level that is impacting on the virus and impacting on NSW coming out of lockdown," Fuller said.

2. Grattan Institute says lockdowns and border closures should end when Australia is 80% vaccinated

A new report published by the Grattan Institute says that borders can be reopened and lockdowns ended once 80% of the total population, and 95% of the most vulnerable, are vaccinated. The authors of the Race to 80 report believe that this target could potentially be reached by the end of this year if a vaccine for under 12s becomes available soon, or otherwise by March next year.

3. NAB announces $2.5 billion on-market buyback

NAB has announced it plans to buy back up to $2.5 billion of shares on-market beginning from mid-to-late August. "NAB's strong financial performance, combined with the divestment of MLC Wealth, has created an opportunity for NAB to reduce our surplus capital while retaining a strong balance sheet during these uncertain times," NAB CEO Ross McEwan said.

4. Tortilla prices surge in Mexico

The price for a kilogram of corn tortillas in Mexico at the start of the month rose by 13.5% compared to a year earlier according to a report from Al Jazeera. Mexico's president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said earlier this month that the country is considering increasing corn imports to allow for more competition. "If the economy is doing well, this has to be reflected in the price of the tortilla," he said.

5. Dow Jones and S&P 500 rise 0.4% on Thursday

Overnight in the US, the Dow Jones moved up 153.60 points or 0.44% to 35,084.53 and the S&P 500 gained 18.51 points or 0.42% to 4,419.15. The Nasdaq lagged the other two major indexes with a gain of 15.68 points or 0.11% to 14,778.26.