1. BHP considers making vaccinations mandatory

BHP has become the latest major company to announce it is considering making COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory for its workers, with a decision expected next month on whether the company's 45,000 employees in Australia will need to get jabbed by early 2022 according to the AFR. "We have an obligation to ensure our people are safe when they are at work, and to support the health of the regional communities where we operate," said Edgar Basco, BHP's president of Minerals Australia.

2. 35% of Australians worse off financially in the past three months

A YouGov survey conducted for News Corp has found that 35% of Australians surveyed, and 39% of those in NSW and Victoria, have been 'a little' or 'a lot' worse off financially in the past three months. 58% of respondents said that business closures and job losses were one of their biggest concerns at the moment, the number one ranked response followed by the impact on mental health with 57% and COVID-19 cases and deaths with 51%.

3. Sandfire announces record net profit and dividend

Sandfire Resources has reported a record annual net profit of $170.1 million, a 132% increase on the previous year, as well as a record final dividend of 26 cents per share. "Another disciplined and focused performance at our high-margin DeGrussa Operations in Western Australia allowed us to reap the full benefits of a rising copper price, which hit decade-long highs during the year and was reflected in record sales revenue of $813.0 million," said CEO Karl Simich.

4. Swiss canton offers up 100 bottles of wine for centenarians

The Swiss canton of Fribourg is making plans to deliver 100 bottles of wine to its next 100-year-old resident in November according to local paper Le Matin Dimanche and Bloomberg. The canton began celebrating its centenarians in 2000 with free armchairs, however the gifts eventually shifted to wine due to a lack of interest, with alternative options of gift vouchers and donations to charity also available.

5. Dow Jones dips as S&P 500 and Nasdaq set new records again

The Dow Jones closed down 55.96 points or 0.16% to 35,399.84 on Monday in the US, while both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reached record-high closes. The S&P 500 rose 19.42 points or 0.43% to 4,528.79 and the Nasdaq gained 136.39 points or 0.90% to 15,265.89.