Links 15 January 2021

Global Macro / Markets / Investing:

• Trump signs amended China investment ban, requiring complete divestment by Nov. 2021 – Reuters
• Climate change: US emissions in 2020 in biggest fall since WWII – BBC
• Moderna CEO says the world will have to live with Covid ‘forever’ – CNBC
• Bitcoin closes in on $40,000 as bulls flood in again and ECB boss Christine Lagarde labels cryptocurrencies a ‘funny business – Business Insider

Americas:

• US bans all cotton and tomato products from Xinjiang over slave labor – ABC
• Brazil’s Bolsonaro sabotaged anti-COVID-19 efforts, says Human Rights Watch – Reuters
• US police three times as likely to use force against leftwing protesters, data finds – The Guardian (I’m three times as not shocked)
• 2 Virginia police officers face federal charges in Capitol riots – CBSNews
• China trade surplus with US widens 7.1% in 2020 – AsiaTimes

Europe/Middle East:

• Afghanistan foils ISIS plan to assassinate the top US envoy to Kabul – MSN
• Scottish nationalists set for record majority, boosting independence push – Reuters (Freedom!)
• European Populists Who Looked to Trump Now Look Away: The riot at the U.S. Capitol and bogus claims of election fraud have led former allies of President Trump to distance themselves – NYT
• Italy thrown into political crisis as Renzi sinks government – Reuters

Asia:

• China’s ‘appalling’ repression of Uighurs has been singled out in a new Human Rights Watch report – SBS
• Chinese state media declares U.S. “most failed country of 2020” – Newsweek
• Asians dump WhatsApp for Signal and Telegram on privacy concerns – Nikkei
• A Book predicting US decline 30 years ago, due to domestic conflicts by Chinese political theorist is suddenly a must read in China. – Times of India

Trans-Tasman:

• Craig Kelly decries censorship but blocks dissenting voices from his Facebook page, constituents say – The Guardian
• ‘No way we’d be making over $1,000’: The Government wanted young Australians to do farm jobs, here’s how they went – ABC
• Comments reveal dark underbelly of Australian politics – The Age
• ABC reverses editorial decisions on Capitol breach and Craig Kelly Covid posts – The Guardian
• Queensland Health investigating claims quarantined overseas traveller infected with UK COVID-19 strain visited hospital on Monday night – ABC
• 2021 is the year Australia’s international student crisis really bites – The Conversation
• Don’t rush the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, WHO warns New Zealand – TVNZ

Interesting, etc.

• WHO team arrives in Wuhan to search for pandemic origins – APnews
• Shortening the workweek reduces smoking and obesity, improves overall health, study of French reform shows – Academic Times