Global Macro / Markets / Investing:
- The Polar Vortex collapse sequence has now begun, with current forecasts showing a likely increase in colder Winter weather dynamics over the United States and Europe as a response to these large-scale circulation changes.
- World population likely to shrink after mid-century, forecasting major shifts in global population and economic power – ScienceDaily
- “It’s an absolute mess.” Truckers hauling goods between the EU and U.K. are facing an nightmare of post-Brexit red tape that’s delaying drivers for hours – Bloomberg (whoocoodanode?)
Americas:
- Amazon to drop Parler from its web hosting service, citing violent posts – CNBC
- Police departments across the U.S. open probes into whether their own members took part in the Capitol riot – WaPo
- South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, says that they are willing to share their lessons from its peaceful transition to democracy with the US. – news24
- The riot happened because the Senate acquitted Trump – WaPo
- Extremists planning more violent events for Inauguration Day, experts warn – Independent
Europe:
- Pope Francis to have COVID-19 vaccine, says it is the ethical choice for all – Reuters
- Germany wants US, EU to forge ‘Marshall Plan for democracy’ – DW
- Scottish nationalists demand billions in ‘Brexit compensation’ for Scotland – Reuters
- COVID-19: Queen and Duke of Edinburgh receive first doses of their coronavirus vaccinations – Sky
- Israel rebuffs WHO vaccine request for Palestinian medics – Independent
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guard unveils missile base amid US tensions – AL Jazeera
Asia:
- U.S., Canada, Britain, Australia condemn Hong Kong arrests of activists – Reuters
- Pompeo lifts ‘self-imposed restrictions’ on U.S.-Taiwan relationship – Reuters
- Pakistan power breakdown. Entire country into darkness. – Dawn
- China’s factories must be ‘armed with automation’, as pandemic gives boost to machines in manufacturing – SCMP
- Chinese #TV adaptation runs into trouble after author of novel upon which it is based posts controversial comments about women on social media. – Global Times
- The crash of Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 on Saturday afternoon is another blight on Indonesia’s already poor aviation safety record – Bloomberg
Trans-Tasman:
- Aboriginal peoples barely own a drop of water in the vast Murray-Darling Basin water market, and First Nations groups say government inaction is denying their Indigenous rights to use the resource for environmental, social and economic purposes. – The Age
- Russia and NZ in “knock out brawl” over fishing vessel in protected Antarctic waters. – Stuff NZ
- The local boss of Zoom says the video-conferencing giant will seek to help businesses create equality between employees in the office and those at home. – AFR
- Aussie farmers have lost more than $38 million worth of fruit and vegetables harvests due to pandemic-induced workforce shortages. – News.com
- Liberal MP Craig Kelly attacks Facebook for warning him over unproven Covid treatment post – The Guardian (waaambulance!)
- Suppressed auditor general’s report warned $1.3bn Australian defence deal not value for money | Australia news – The Guardian
- ‘Hard to see a safe corridor’: NSW shelves plan for return of international students – SMH
Interesting, etc.
- Astronomers just discovered the oldest and most distant galaxy ever – The Next Web
- Scientists say Earth is spinning faster than it has in decades – USAToday
Latest posts by Chris Becker (see all)
- Macro Afternoon - January 15, 2021
- Macro Morning - January 15, 2021
- Daily iron ore price update (record imports) - January 15, 2021
United Kingdom Update … Working from home / Working remotely …
Almost ALL civil servants want to be allowed to continue working from home after the lockdown ends with seven in 10 saying they are doing LONGER hours by not coming in to the office … Daily Mail
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9126913/Almost-civil-servants-want-allowed-continue-working-home-lockdown-ends.html
(United Kingdom) Survey finds working from home to quintuple by 2025 … FMT
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/money/2021/01/09/survey-finds-working-from-home-to-quintuple-by-2025/
One in four people to work from home permanently … UK Daily Telegraph
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/01/08/one-four-people-work-home-permanently/
Many UK office workers would accept a pay-cut for remote working … ITProPortal
https://www.itproportal.com/news/many-uk-office-workers-would-accept-a-pay-cut-for-remote-working/
India (and beyond) Update … Working from home … massively expanding opportunities for women …
Will work-from-home give a boost to female employment? … S A Sayar … The Times of India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/Swaminomics/will-work-from-home-give-a-boost-to-female-employment/
Work from home revolution is a surprise boon for India’s women … Saritha Rai … Bloomberg / The Economic Times
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/work-from-home-revolution-is-a-surprise-boon-for-indias-women/articleshow/79401373.cms
Freezing weather across Europe, Russia and China.
Yep, not good for the virus. New Brazil variant B.1.1.248 found at Japan border. Scuttlebutt is that 501.V2, the South African variant is unreliable for PCR detection. It was only good luck not planning that enabled the S-gene change to be detected for B.1.1.7, the UK variant. The US doesn’t do much gene sequencing apparently so they don’t really know how the variants are going there
Because of considerations covered here it will be 6 weeks before we know if we are still out of the woods
https://www.statnews.com/2021/01/09/we-lost-to-sars-cov-2-in-2020-we-can-defeat-b-117-in-2021/
In light of the new variants Hong Kong has extended quarantine to 3 weeks until they know what they are dealing with. We are going to dump them in NT instead.
Australia day advertisment is propoganda
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9130229/Row-insulting-Australia-Day-advert-results-cinema-INSTANTLY-pulling-video.html
…it is impossible to seek national unity or identity while the cancerous social policy of MultiCult is officially promoted.
A truly vomit inducing promotion. Multi CULT ural (pi$$ urinary tract infection medication)
MultiCult is societal clap.
See below and by what authority do you get to decide anything.
Regardless of some peoples prostrations multiculturalism has been a fact since the advent of the city nation state, albeit some might confuse lingering dominance in ethnic immigration as transcending time and space – outside their limited observations.