1. Australian Industry Group calls for accelerated business travel plan

Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox said that national cabinet should consider introducing a plan to allow fully vaccinated business travellers to leave the country and quarantine at home upon return. "While travel exemptions for business travel can be obtained successfully if strict criteria are met, the barriers to doing business in other countries remain prohibitive for many," Willox said.

2. Afterpay reports $159.4 million loss ahead of Square merger

Afterpay has reported a net loss of $159.4 million for the full year ending June 30 compared to $22.9 million for the year prior, while revenue was up 78% to $924.7 million and underlying sales rose 102% to $22.4 billion. "The hard work and passion of our teams around the world has helped deliver a solid set of results in FY21. We continued on our global growth trajectory, with strong operating performance achieved across all regions," the company said.

3. Paralympics begin in Tokyo

After last night's opening ceremony, the first events of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games begin today, with Australians competing in swimming, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and more. The games will run until September 5.

4. Corsica beaches close due to cow attacks

Beaches on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica were temporarily closed last week after a number of incidents involving aggressive cows, with two individuals sustaining serious injuries. There are around 15,000 cows in total on the island, of which around half roam wild according to The Times.

5. S&P 500 and Nasdaq reach new records

The S&P 500 edged higher to a new record on Tuesday in the US, moving up 6.70 points or 0.15% to 4,485.23. The Nasdaq also reach a new record of 15,019.80 after rising 77.15 points or 0.52%, while the Dow Jones closed up 30.55 points or 0.09% to 35,366.26.