Global Macro / Markets / Investing:
- Panicking financial markets could stuff up another global recovery – Ninefax, Gitto
- Climate change: Is ‘blue hydrogen’ Japan’s answer to coal? – BBC
- Large gender pay gaps persist over the last 25 years – BBC
- Making Sense of This Economy Is a Rorschach Test – Bloomberg
- Variants, boosters turn rich-poor vaccine gap into chasm – AP
- Toys prove to be better investment than gold, art, and financial securities -secondary market prices of retired LEGO sets grow by 11% annually, which is faster than gold, stocks, and bonds. HSE
Americas:
- Trump voters nearly three times likely to die from COVID: NPR
- The US is averaging more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases a day, the highest level in two months – CNN
- Biden administration expected to announce diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics this week – CNN
Europe/ME/Africa:
- Middle-class drug users could lose UK passports under Boris Johnson’s plans – Guardian
- Covid not over and next pandemic could be more lethal, says Oxford jab creator – Guardian
- S.Africans protest against Shell oil exploration in pristine coastal area – Reuters
- Ukraine’s defence minister urges military support from Canada, U.S. and Britain – even if it’s outside NATO – Globe and Mail
- Omicron outbreak at Norway Christmas party is biggest outside S. Africa, authorities say – CNBC
Asia:
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- China Evergrande braces for payment deadline after doubting availability of funds – Reuters
- Japan PM vows to ensure workers’ wage hikes to guard against global inflation – Reuters
- China says market views of monetary policy moves too ‘simplistic’ – Reuters
- China calls for better international consultation over monetary policy to ensure ‘fairer’ international environment – SCMP
- Modernisation and China’s ‘century of humiliation’ – VoxEU
- Korea reports suspected cases of highly pathogenic bird flu at egg farm – Korea Times
- China Developer Sunshine 100 Defaults on $170 Million of Bonds – Bloomberg
Trans-Tasman:
- Prime Minister Scott Morrison, cabinet members openly push for former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian to run in Warringah – ABC…Mad Gladys could tickle from the top in Federal politics, yeah!….
- Jobs surge and inflation pressures build ahead of RBA meeting – Ninefax
- Scott Morrison will revert to the tried and trusty electioneering playbook to fight the looming election – ABC…The Liberals are economic frauds…
- Beware the buy now, pay later ‘debt spiral’. Experts warn it’ll be haunting us long after Christmas – ABC…JobKeeper will be haunting us for generations…
- Public school teachers in NSW are striking tomorrow — here’s everything you need to know – ABC
- Make A Wish Foundation surprises terminally lazy little boy with lap at Bathurst – The Shovel
- ‘Twelve square metres is tiny’: The reality of ‘affordable’ housing in Sydney – SMH
Science/Different:
- Finally, a Fusion Reaction Has Generated More Energy Than Absorbed by The Fuel – Sciencealert
- Traffic injuries among youth did not change after legalization of cannabis: study – CanadaTV
- An analysis of the mental health impacts of COVID-19 found that over 43% of middle-aged and older adults showed depressive symptoms that increased over time, with loneliness and pandemic stressors the main predictors. – Nature
- Elon Musk being allowed to ‘make the rules’ in space, ESA chief warns – FT
- Better research into Instagram, WhatsApp effects on young users needed, academics say – USAToday – No more research needed, I say just ban them all – until a child turns 18, no Facebook, no TikTok, no Twitter, none of it. It’s worse than hard drugs or alcohol – CB