Global Macro/Investing/Economics
- Thermometer in world’s coldest village breaks as temperatures plunge to -62C – Telegraph
- Europe’s central banks are starting to replace dollar reserves with the yuan – QZ
- Study: Trump’s Presidency Has ‘Accelerated’ the Decline of Democracy Worldwide – Fortune
- BlackRock’s Message: Contribute to Society, or Risk Losing Our Support – NYT
- Did Bitcoin Just Burst? How It Compares to History’s Big Bubbles – Bloomberg
- Google Plans to Expand Huge Undersea Cables to Boost Cloud Business – WSJ
- World’s shortest work weeks – CNN
Americas
- Bannon ‘ordered to testify to grand jury’: He was reportedly subpoenaed by Mueller, who is leading an inquiry into alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 election campaign. – BBC
- Canada’s six biggest banks accused of rigging rate to boost profits – Financial Post
- Donald Trump aces mental aptitude test designed by a Lebanese immigrant to Canada: – The Star
- Nearly all members of National Park Service advisory panel resign in frustration – WaPo
- Why Is It So Hard for Americans to Get a Decent Raise? Economists Have a Dark New Theory. – Slate
- Inflation Expectations Rise in December Amid Growing Optimism About Labor Market – New York Fed
- Banks Are Big Winners From Tax Cut – NYT
Europe/Middle East
- US holds back $65m aid to Palestinians – BBC
- Turkish forces mass near Kurdish areas – BBC
- Yemen war: 5,000 children dead or hurt and 400,000 malnourished, UN says – The Guardian (thank God for the Saudi’s hey?)
- Tory government votes not to retain European human rights charter in UK law after Brexit – Independent
- Reconciling risk sharing with market discipline: A constructive approach to euro area reform – CEPR
Asia
Advertisement
- North Korea to send about 230 cheerleaders to Olympics for its 2 competing athletes. – Newsweek
- Chinese credit rating agency downgrades US’s rating over political ‘deficiencies’ – The Hill
- Days after Hawaii alert gaffe, Japan issues false alarm about a missile launch -Reuters
- China builds ‘world’s biggest air purifier’ – a 328 feet-high tower that has helped reduce smog levels over an area of 3.86 square miles – SCMP
Australia/New Zealand
- Science being ‘thrown out the window’ in Australia’s health policy – The Guardian (there’s still windows?)
- NBN admits three in four FTTN customers won’t get top speeds – The Age
- NBN rollout a ‘monumental stuff-up’: Labor – News
- The problem isn’t unskilled graduates, it’s a lack of full-time job opportunities – The Conversation
- Health insurers explain $200 increase – “We only made a billion dollars last year” – Chaser
…and more
- High IQ linked to higher risk of psychological disorders Depression, Anxiety, ADHD & Autism (ASD) – Insight
- The Bayeux Tapestry is set to be displayed in Britain after French president Emmanuel Macron gave move his seal of approval: Telegraph
- Researchers discover new catalyst for efficiently recycling waste carbon dioxide into plastic – ‘Paired with carbon capture technology, this could lead to an incredibly green production mechanism for everyday plastics, meanwhile sequestering harmful greenhouse gases’ – Independent
- Shakespeare papers given same cultural status as Magna Carta – Documents relating to the bard’s life, including rare example of his signature, added to Unesco heritage list – The Guardian
- YouTube making it even harder to earn money – Techcrunch