Global Macro / Markets / Investing:
- Oil prices rise to near 1-year highs as vaccines, stimulus and Saudi Arabian production cuts lift the energy outlook – Business Insider
- Benchmark LNG cargo prices soar 18-fold in less than nine months, outperforming other commodities – Bloomberg
- COVID herd immunity will not happen in 2021, says WHO – DW
- Visa and Plaid scrap $5.3 billion merger agreement – CNN
Americas:
- ‘She Kind of Reminds You of Margaret Thatcher’: Liz Cheney Prepares To Make Her Move – Politico (oh god no…)
- More Republicans join rebellion against Trump as impeachment looms – The Guardian
- U.S. health officials clear a path for about 128 million more Americans to be vaccinated – Bloomberg
- Georgia election: high Black voter turnout was due to years of activist efforts – The Guardian
- Mexico publishes medicinal cannabis regulation, creating new market – Reuters
- Canada implements stay-at-home order for Ontario as officials warn of a looming health care system ‘collapse’ – CNN
Europe/Middle East:
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- Estonian government collapses over corruption investigation – Guardian
- The EU’s food watchdog approves mealworms as safe for human consumption, either whole or in powders – Bloomberg (yeah, nah)
- Pompeo Cancels Final Trip Abroad After European Leaders Refuse To Meet With Him – Forbes
- Russian Navy Commander Stole Two 13-Ton Bronze Propellers From His Own Destroyer – Drive
Asia:
- China’s banking regulator is strengthening oversight of consumer finance firms with a new scoring system – Bloomberg
- UK condemns China’s ‘horrific barbarism’ against Uighur minority – Al Jazeera
- India says trust with China ‘profoundly disturbed’, U.S. ties on upswing – Reuters
- US says Mike Pompeo won’t go to Taiwan after Chinese state media warns such a trip may ‘trigger a war’ – SCMP
- China in darkest period for human rights since Tiananmen, says rights group – Guardian
Trans-Tasman:
- Canberra is considering a proposal by the Australian Council of Social Service and an ANU economist to give people a choice between higher superannuation contributions or higher wages. – AFR (the cracks in the great super rort are widening….)
- Australia the only developed nation on world list of deforestation hotspots – Guardian
- New Zealand jobs market bounces back – employment rate already back to near pre-pandemic levels – Guardian
- Paul Keating lashes federal government for considering ‘opt-in’ superannuation – The Age (again, more cracks….)
- The Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology says the federal government should immediately pause the planned rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine because it may not be effective enough to generate herd immunity. – SMH
Interesting, etc.
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- How effective is China’s Sinovac vaccine? Experts are confused by the data – Bloomberg
- More infectious coronavirus variants will emerge, disease expert predicts – FT
- Earth losing roughly 1% to 2% of its insects annually, new studies suggest – CBC
- From Norway to Canada, the Arctic Ocean is being polluted by tiny plastic fibers from our clothes – CNN
- 2,500-year-old temple to Greek love goddess unearthed in Turkey – Livescience