financializer news A weblog highlighting financial topics making news in the international media.

id: China's power and influence was at the bottom of the threat list, which included cyberattacks, North Korea's nuclear program and the condition of the global economy, according to Deutsche Welle. Meanwhile, compared to similar surveys conducted in 2013 and 2017, more people now believe US power and influence is a major threat. if !window.twttr window.twttr function d, s, id var js, fjs t window.twttr ; if d.get Element ById id return t; js d.create Element s ; js.id id; js.src fjs ; t. e ; t.ready function f t. e.push f ; ; return t; document, script twitter-wjs ; twttr.ready function twttr link Color ' 0087eb', width '550', align 'center' ; ; Read more Opinion Europe must retain control of its energy security Top threats Thirteen countries, including Germany and Canada, see global climate change as the top threat. Terrorism, especially the kind perpetrated by the Islamic State militant group, came up as the second-highest threat, topping security concerns in eight of the countries surveyed in the Pew Research Center study. The Islamic State is seen as the top threat in eight countries, including France and Italy. Russia's power and influence is seen as the top threat in only one country Poland. State-sponsored cyberattacks are seen as the top threat in four countries, including the US and Japan. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

research center: We simply disagree on how to best achieve them, according to The Independent. If only we could find common ground, I tell myself, we could actually come up with solutions that satisfy both sides of the aisle. Call me na ve, but I believe that at our core, most of us want the same or similar things. So when a Facebook friend challenged liberals like me to make a case not based on emotion on why we oppose Trump's border wall, I decided to use conservative sources to back up my arguments. Walls are also impractical, expensive, and have a barely discernible impact on illegal immigration according to the Congressional Research Center. Most illegal immigrants are people who overstay their legal visas, I argued - and most illegal drugs are smuggled in through legal points of entry, hidden in secret containers or trucks. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

sunday people: Weakened by the disastrous government shutdown and facing a fresh deadline Friday, Trump is trying to convince people that he'll continue to push to build his long-promised wall, even though there's no way it would be anywhere near complete by the time voters have to decide whether to give him another term. ; A bipartisan group of lawmakers was negotiating ahead of Friday's deadline, but on Sunday people familiar with the talks said the mood among the bargainers had grown sour amid an impasse over migrant detention policies, according to The Japan Times. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks. Trump will hold his first campaign rally since November's midterm elections in El Paso, Texas, on Monday as he faces a defining week for his push on the wall and for his presidency and his 2020 prospects. Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said during news show appearances Sunday that another shutdown remained on the table, although he also said Trump probably would be willing to compromise over how much of the 5.7 billion for wall construction he's demanded would be allocated. Even Trump's full demand is a fraction of the money he needs to complete the barrier he wants. Someplace in the middle, Mulvaney said on NBC's Meet the Press. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

telecommunications electronics: On Monday, the Shenzhen Component Index was up 3.06 percent at 7,919.05 points, hitting trading volumes of 182.6 billion yuan 20.35 billion . In addition, the Growth Enterprise Market GEM index grew 3.53 percent, closing above the 1,300 point level, the biggest daily gain over the past three months, according to Global Times China. Stocks of 5G, agriculture, telecommunications and electronics took the lead in the bullish A-share market. Photo VCG On the bullish first trading day in the Year of the Pig, the flagship Shanghai Composite Index rose by 1.36 percent at 2,653.9 points on Monday, with total trading volumes reaching 137.3 billion yuan 20.35 billion . This reflects investors' optimistic outlook for 2019, with ample liquidity in the stock market, as well as improving regulations and policies, said Zhang Xia, chief strategy analyst at China Merchants Securities. Particularly, 5G brought strength to the A-share stock market, from such companies as East Com, Boomsense and Chunxing Precision Mechanical. Explaining why telecommunications and electronics companies achieved such satisfactory performance on Monday, Zhang said that those industries were not closely correlated with the country's macro economy, which experienced an obvious slump last year. Zhang said that 5G requires close attention in 2019, as China prepares to issue temporary 5G licenses to operators this year, indicating that the 5G stocks will remain firm with ongoing government support in the coming sessions. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

trading day: The Shenzhen Component Index was up 3.06 percent at 7,919.05 points, with volume of 182.6 billion yuan, according to Global Times China. The Growth Enterprise Market index rose 3.53 percent, closing above the 1,300-point level, the biggest daily gain over the past three months. Photo VCG On Monday, the bullish first trading day in the Year of the Pig, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.36 percent to 2,653.9 points, with total trading volume reaching 137.3 billion yuan 20.35 billion . The figures reflect investors' optimistic outlook for 2019, coupled with ample liquidity in the stock market, as well as improving regulations and policies, said Zhang Xia, chief strategy analyst at China Merchants Securities. Stocks of companies involved in 5G, agriculture, telecommunications and electronics took the lead in the bullish A-share market. Zhang said that 5G requires close attention in 2019, as China prepares to issue temporary 5G licenses to operators this year. In particular, the 5G sector buoyed the broader market, with shares of East Com, Boomsense and Chunxing Precision Mechanical rallying. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

banking: The comments came as the prudential regulator revealed it was examining 12 matters arising from the banking royal commission, according to Nine News Australia. Labor, which has been crying out for the extra sitting days, says there are obvious changes to law that would be easy to achieve. To improve your experience update it here News NationalPM slams call for 'reckless' bank law rush By AAP4 05pm Feb 11, Minister Scott Morrison says it would be reckless to make federal parliament sit for an extra two weeks in March to fast-track its response to the banking royal commission. Mr Morrison has told the National Press Club in Canberra at least 40 pieces of legislation are required to response to commissioner Kenneth Hayne's recommendations, which should not be prepared so quickly. I would call that type of financial legislation reckless. You cannot go and put together what is at least 40 pieces of legislation, or thereabouts, scramble it together in a couple of weeks, throw it into a feverish sitting of the Australian parliament just before the election and then be surprised at the result that you think that you might get on the other side, he said on Monday. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

court: Court papers suggest she separately built up tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid property taxes on a house she told US authorities she had already sold, according to The Guardian. Navka lived and trained in the US for more than a decade. Tatiana Navka, a former Olympic ice dancing champion, also appears to have wrongly claimed a potentially beneficial US tax status, according to an investigation by the Guardian. Sign up for the US morning briefing In 2015, having returned to Russia, she married Dmitry Peskov, Putin's longtime press secretary and the Kremlin's deputy chief of staff. She said In your previous newspaper article you didn't use my answers and commentary, which I sent. On Wednesday the investigative unit Dossier Center, together with the Guardian, revealed that Navka had accumulated a property portfolio worth at least 10m 7.7m . Questions over lifestyle of Putin's aide and his wife's 10m property empire Read more Navka declined to answer specific questions from the Guardian about her US tax affairs. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

deal: The cabinet minister, who is increasingly keen to talk up Brexit at a time when a deal is elusive, is expected to say leaving the EU will allow the UK to consider how we not only project but maximise our influence around the world in the months and years to come . Japanese PM implores Britain not to leave EU without a deal Read more Williamson is expected to conclude Brexit has brought us to a great moment in our history, according to The Guardian. A moment when we must strengthen our global presence, enhance our lethality and increase our mass. Gavin Williamson intends to argue in a speech at the Royal United Services Institute on Monday that a post-Brexit UK should redefine its role as a global power prepared to intervene against countries that flout international law backed up by new military technologies and capabilities. Allies of the minister indicated that Williamson would detail new technologies to spell out what he meant by boosting the lethality of the armed forces, stemming from a belief that future threats are more likely to come from well-resourced states rather than Islamist or other terrorist groups. The defence secretary wants the UK to step up its presence in Asia with a new military base a generation after Harold Wilson retreated from east of Suez and will confirm that the first of Britain's next-generation aircraft carriers, the Queen Elizabeth, will tour the Pacific as part of its maiden voyage in around 2021. Russia is resurgent rebuilding its military arsenal and Nato must develop its ability to handle the kind of provocations that Russia is throwing at us the minister will say nearly a year after the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, which Moscow is widely suspected of orchestrating. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

liam richards: Liam Richards / THE CANADIAN PRESS That said, and as we expected, our 2019 outlook points to a weaker performance from a gross profit point of view, according to The Toronto Star. The uranium producer has been struggling for years with a sluggish market for yellowcake. You will see from our results that we had a strong finish to 2018, CEO Tim Gitzel told on a conference call Monday.A drill is shown during a Cameco media tour of the uranium mine in Cigar Lake, Wednesday, September 23, 2015. Last year, it temporarily halted production at its McArthur River mine and later made the shutdown permanent as it and other producers looked to cut back on supply. Article Continued Below The company relied more on stockpiles because of the mine shutdown, leaving its inventories at about a third of where they were at the start of 2018. The drop in supplies from Cameco and others, and some increased demand, have helped boost spot market prices by about 20 per cent since the start of 2018, but long-term orders have lagged. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

power: Harper's competition policy inquiry recommended changes to the misuse of market power provisions in Australian trade practices law, but did not recommend a divestiture power because it was considered unnecessary and undesirable, according to The Guardian. The prominent economist and dean of the Melbourne Business School says in his submission to the inquiry that divestiture powers which are being proposed in the so-called big stick package were avoided in his review because they are unpredictable in their impact and may even be counterproductive if the segregated entities prove to be commercially unviable, potentially leaving the market less competitive after forced divestiture than it was beforehand . Coalition warned its energy 'big stick' could scare away genuine investors Read more He says the powers being proposed in the government's energy policy overhaul are neither necessary nor desirable . Harper says changes to the misuse of market power provisions, which the parliament has now adopted, has given regulators sufficient power to take action if there is anti-competitive behaviour in the energy sector. Harper, who was appointed by the Coalition to review Australia's competition policy and serve on the central bank board, has used a submission to a parliamentary inquiry to warn the Morrison government against pursuing special sanctions for the energy sector. He says competition policy should not discriminate against particular sectors of the economy, and to do so distorts investment decisions, promoting inefficiency and ultimately harming the interests of consumers . Harper says singling out one industry for a particular sanction would create more intrusive regulation imbalances in competition policy. Over-reach is harmful because it is counterproductive it harms competition by penalising pro-competitive conduct, Harper says. He says his competition inquiry rejected calls to single out supermarkets and fuel retailers for special treatment for that reason. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

addis ababa: The Microsoft founder mentioned interventions such as vaccines, safe delivery for mothers and the availability of antibiotic drugs as ways to drastically improve health outcomes, according to The Japan Times. Gates, whose foundation has spent around 15 billion in Africa since 2000, on Saturday took part in the launch of an initiative to increase investment mainly on the part of governments in the health sector. The good news about health is that by spending modest amounts on the prioritized areas, you can get phenomenal benefits, he told AFP on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa. ; You don't have to get all the way to middle-income before you can run a great primary health care system. Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who sparked the initiative, called on African nations to put at least 15 percent of their budgets toward health care. Gates noted that while efforts to improve health care in Africa have cut child mortality and increased life expectancy, the numbers are still quite troubling. In 2016, an average of 7.5 percent of budgets was spent in this sector on the continent, according to AU figures. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

chinese mainland: Experts said such moves are in line with China's general policy of financial opening-up, according to Global Times China. Recently, the National Association of Financial Market Institutional Investors NAFMII released a trial guidance document for overseas non-financial enterprises that use debt financing instruments in the mainland. File photo VCG The Chinese government in 2019 will continue to open up the nation's bond market with measures such as clearing policies for overseas bond issuers in the Chinese mainland. The document is part of an effort to further open up the domestic interbank market, said a statement published on the NAFMII's website. They should inform the NAFMII if they plan to issue bonds beyond the one-year period. The document said that overseas non-financial enterprises should register their information with the NAFMII and can issue bonds in the mainland within one year after doing so. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

gr ie: The short-term funding deal announced last month after the longest shutdown in US history is set to expire on Friday, according to The Independent. It was a very bad week for the Democrats, with the GREAT economic numbers, The Virginia disaster and the State of the Union address. The president's comments came just as his acting White House chief of staff said another shutdown is not off the table, and after news from Capitol Hill indicated negotiators had reached an impasse over Mr Trump's demands for border wall funding. Now, with the terrible offers being made by them to the Border Committee, I actually believe they want a Shutdown. ISOCountry Groups euro at be cy ee fi fr de gr ie it lv lt lu mc mt nl pt sk si sm es va uk gb us us variants 1 33.4, 2 33.3, 3 33.3 Join Independent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent With an Independent Minds subscription for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent Without the ads for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Politicians in Washington have just under six days until temporary funding for a portion of the federal government is set to expire on Friday. They want a new subject! Mr Trump tweeted on Sunday, referring to ongoing scandals plaguing Democrats in Virginia where blackface photos and sexual assault claims have led to calls for the governor and lietenant governor to resign. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

deputy director: The Ministry of Public Security MPS is now calling the public to be vigilant against such scams, according to Global Times China. Scammers mainly take advantage of the mentality that you can make a large profit from just a small investment. Photo IC With China stepping up its efforts to fight poverty in recent years, a series of scams, using targeted poverty reduction measures as bait, has turned hundreds of thousands of people into victims. Some use fake official documents and seals and pretend to be government officials to make the scams look more real, Chen Shiqu, deputy director of the criminal investigation bureau under the MPS, said at a press conference in January. Starting last August, the group set up dozens of WeChat groups and deceived 180,000 people in four months, asking them to pay membership fees ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 yuan and claiming that they would make tenfold that sum after the organization held a meeting in Beijing that would unlock the poverty alleviation funds. In one case, four scammers from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region used fake cyber identities to pose as government officials from the State Council, the Ministry of Finance and as the director of China's poverty alleviation group to claim that the central government had launched a targeted one-on-one poverty reduction campaign through the internet. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

enquirer: Bezos has said AMI threatened to publish the explicit photos of him unless he stopped investigating how the Enquirer obtained his private exchanges with his mistress, former TV anchor Lauren Sanchez, and publicly declare that the Enquirer's coverage of him was not politically motivated, according to Market Watch. Bezos also owns The Washington Post. Elkan Abromowitz, an attorney for American Media Inc. chief executive David Pecker, said on Sunday a reliable source well-known to Bezos and his mistress provided the story about the billionaire's extramarital affair. Bezos' investigators have suggested the Enquirer's coverage of his affair was driven by dirty politics, and the high-profile clash has pitted the world's richest man against the leader of America's best-known tabloid, who is a strong backer of President Donald Trump. Federal prosecutors are looking into whether the Enquirer violated a cooperation and nonprosecution agreement that recently spared the gossip sheet from charges for paying hush money to a Playboy model who claimed she had an affair with Trump, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Friday. Trump has been highly critical of Bezos over his ownership of The Washington Post and Amazon AMZN, 0.18% and the Post's coverage of the White House. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

gold-flecked earth: Since 2016, his administration has purchased 17 tons of the metal worth around 650 million from so-called artisan miners, according to the most recent data from the nation's central bank, according to The Japan Times. Paid with the country's near-worthless bank notes, these amateurs in turn supply the government with hard currency to purchase badly needed imports of food and hygiene products. With the country's economy in meltdown, an estimated 300,000 fortune hunters have descended on this mineral-rich jungle area to earn a living pulling gold-flecked earth from makeshift mines. ; Their picks and shovels are helping to prop up the leftist government of President Nicolas Maduro. This gold trade is a blip on international markets. The Trump administration is pressuring the United Kingdom not to release 1.2 billion in gold reserves Venezuela has stored in the Bank of England. Still, the United States is using sanctions and intimidation in an effort to stop Maduro from using his nation's gold to stay afloat. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

gr ie: ISOCountry Groups euro at be cy ee fi fr de gr ie it lv lt lu mc mt nl pt sk si sm es va uk gb us us variants 1 33.4, 2 33.3, 3 33.3 Join Independent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent With an Independent Minds subscription for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent Without the ads for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial It comes after a row erupted among Labour MPs when it emerged the prime minister was considering measures to win over Labour rebels, including extra cash for their areas, according to The Independent. Watch more Labour MPs branded cowards' amid ferocious Brexit infighting Brexit-backing Bassetlaw MP John Mann indicated he was open to the plans, telling Ms May to show us the money while Great Grimsby MP Melanie Onn held talks with cabinet ministers over workers' rights. Analysis of Treasury figures for the People's Vote campaign found the 32 constituencies such as Wigan and Hartlepool could be hit by a total annual loss of 970m in economic output and some 100m in agricultural subsidies and structural funds within 10 years of leaving the EU. These areas, whose MPs have either backed the government or been reportedly targeted by Ms May, have also seen 895m cuts from local authority funding since 2010, the research found. Downing Street has previously denied offering cash for votes to Labour MPs from Leave-voting constituencies, but it did hint at additional financial support for former mining communities. Apester ads for mobile Read more Jeremy Corbyn says Labour could still back new Brexit referendum Grayling scraps no-deal Brexit ferry contract with shipless company No-confidence motions in Jewish Labour MP Berger withdrawn Did Corbyn's letter really rule out Labour's backing for a Final Say Brexit has always been a project of the right, for the right, by the right. Anna Turley, the Labour MP for Redcar, warned her colleagues against forming a toxic alliance with the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg that can only result in making our people poorer . She said These figures show any Labour MP thinking of accepting what is, in effect, a government Brexit bribe for their constituency should think again. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

discussion forum: Amnesty said Tencent was the only firm one that had not stated it would refuse government requests to access data, according to The Guardian. Yet last week the company expanded its already voluminous investments in non-Chinese technology companies by ploughing a reported 150m 116m into the discussion forum and aggregator Reddit, which has nearly 600 million users. In the heady, pre-Cambridge Analytica days, Facebook came first with a score of 73, and the Chinese gaming and investment company Tencent came last with 0. Tencent joins a long and diverse line of investors in the platform including the rapper Snoop Dogg, the actor Jared Leto and the Silicon Valley billionaire and Donald Trump supporter Peter Thiel. Many pointed out the ultimate irony that Reddit is, itself, currently banned in China. On the Reddit discussion threads known as subreddits that focus on China, along with the reliable smattering of jokes and political polemics, users expressed concern that certain subreddits contained discussions of the best ways to avoid the country's stringent censorship laws. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

growth: By and large, Japan in 2019 feels relatively stable when compared to other advanced economies, according to The Japan Times. A decade from now, I would not be surprised if it continues to show the highest real inflation-adjusted per capita gross domestic product growth rate in the Group of Seven. ; True, Japan's annual GDP growth has averaged just 1.1 percent so far this decade; but its declining population and shrinking workforce is already translating into stronger per capita performance. Prior to this trip, I had been visiting the country regularly since 1988, so it was helpful to see things from a slightly more detached perspective. In fact, given the country's demographic challenges, it might well be outperforming its long-term growth potential. That has been obvious for at least 20 years now. Moreover, the Japanese government has begun to publicize its efforts to attract certain foreign-born workers, having finally recognized that immigration will be necessary for future growth. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

irish counterparts: Pubs are now so numerous in Japan that it's interesting to reflect upon the time when they weren't, according to The Japan Times. John Watkins, founder and owner of The Tavern, has been in the business since the English pub in Japan was an exotic rarity. ; A native of Bristol, where he studied photography, Watkins eventually made his way to London before being hired at 22 as a photographer on passenger ships. They, along with their Irish counterparts, are common drinking venues for both expats and Japanese eager for a cozy, dimly lit atmosphere, hearty pub fare such as shepherd's pie, fish and chips, and a tempting variety of draft beers. I did that for about five years in the late 1970s and early '80s, traveling all over the world, he recalls. I couldn't imagine giving it up at the time. It was a lot of fun. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

minds subscription: The latest figures from the FCA suggest that investment scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, as many of the companies set up by scammers can look very legitimate with professional-looking websites and convincing emails, said Andrew Johnson, advice manager at the Single Financial Guidance Body, according to The Independent. ISOCountry Groups euro at be cy ee fi fr de gr ie it lv lt lu mc mt nl pt sk si sm es va uk gb us us variants 1 33.4, 2 33.3, 3 33.3 Join Independent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent With an Independent Minds subscription for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent Without the ads for just 5.99 6.99 9.99 a month Start your free trial As peak investment scam season approaches at the end of the tax year, the FCA, working with Action Fraud, revealed the most common deception reported to the authorities involve shares and bonds, Forex foreign exchange market and cryptocurrencies. The average loss to fraudsters was 29,000, as they use increasingly complex and convincing techniques including sophisticated use of social media including Facebook and Instagram, as well as emails the Financial Conduct Authority FCA warned this week. For many people, telling the difference between a potential scam and a genuine regulated investment can be really difficult. Truly shocking' At 29,000, the average loss to fraudsters is almost five times the annual amount saved into a typical Isa. The power of technology has led to more sophisticated techniques, meaning that even astute investors could find themselves a victim, said Jane Goodland, corporate affairs director at financial services company Quilter. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

labor welfare: What many victims want is formal recognition that they have been sexually harassed, apologies from the perpetrators and prevention of such acts, according to The Japan Times. It is regrettable that their voices were not taken into account, said Kaori Sato, chairwoman of Purple Union, which deals with workplace harassment and discrimination cases across Japan. A report recently compiled by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's panel on workplace harassment and female empowerment did not call for punitive measures for sexual harassment, apparently out of consideration for the business community, which is said to be concerned about facing higher litigation exposure. ; The report, which included proposals for revisions of labor and female empowerment laws, only recommended including a statement saying that any form of harassment should not be tolerated and urged private companies to take preventive measures. Sato criticized the report for containing only ideals rather than actions. There was disagreement between the labor side on the panel and representatives of management, who argued that each company should be responsible for dealing with sexual harassment before taking matters to regional labor bureaus. Five labor unions, including Purple Union, sent a petition last November requesting that the panel include a provision in its report that explicitly bans sexual harassment. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

market: Brokerages and fund managers predict a structural bull market in 2019, boosted by such favorable factors as the low valuations of A shares, domestic news site yicai reported on Sunday, according to Global Times China. Figures that go back 19 years indicate an 84.2 percent likelihood that the A-share market will be in positive territory at the end of the first trading week, the yicai report said, citing financial information provider Wind. Records going back about two decades signal gains on the first trading day and in the first week. The optimism has persisted even though lock-up shares worth 102.8 billion yuan 15.24 billion will become eligible for trade on the Chinese stock market this week. The potential sales won't exert much pressure as long as buying outweighs selling, and there is a high likelihood that history will repeat itself in the first trading day of the new year in the lunar calendar and the first week, Li Daxiao, chief economist at Shenzhen-based Yingda Securities, told the Global Times on Sunday. It will be the first of nine weeks in which the figure exceeds the 100 billion yuan mark in 2019, the Securities Times newspaper said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

government attempts: We have a rare chance to make our electricity system fair again, but we need to act fast Nicky Ison Read more The report comes as the government attempts to pass what is left of its big stick legislation which, after jumping through some federal court hoops, would give the energy minister of the day the potential to earmark electricity companies for divesture if they were found to be misusing their market power for price gouging, according to The Guardian. The Grattan Institute researchers reviewed the last 10 years of Australia's power issues, and the potential for future problems, as ageing coal-fired power stations come off line, and found problems with transporting power was the overwhelming source of Australia's power reliability problems to date. But government underwriting of new power-generation investment a key Coalition energy policy could hinder, not help the bid to bolster network reliability, the researchers warned, by scaring away genuine potential investors . Instead researchers from the Grattan Institute recommended a better management of the distribution of Australia's existing supply of power while encouraging Australians to invest in their own backup supplies, as the technology to store renewable energy such as solar becomes cheaper, among potential solutions to the nation's future power problems. But it also warned that would not always be the case, if policymakers did not find a sustainable and sensible solution to maintaining supply that did not rely on false narratives such as renewable energy sources were to blame for blackouts. The overwhelming source of outages is problems in transporting power; it has nothing to do with whether the power was generated from renewables or coal, or some other technology, the Grattan researchers concluded. The report reviewed the mass blackout across South Australia in 2016, after which the researchers found reporting on power blackouts increased by up to 10 times despite the actual number of power outages remaining stable. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

identities: Critics have said the innovation could put peoples' identities and personal information at risk. 9news The MyGovID digital system is currently being tested across the country, with those in the pilot program able to use facial recognition, instead of paper, to apply for a tax file number, according to Nine News Australia. The image taken is matched against passport images already on file. To improve your experience update it here News National Facial recognition passport 'close to a reality' for Aussies By 9News Staff8 38pm Feb 10, could be one step closer to getting a passport through facial recognition software, however civil libertarians have accused the government of running towards a surveillance state. It takes a matter of minutes, rather than a month-long process, Digital Transformation Agency CEO Randall Bregeaud told 9News. The technology could eliminate the need to use a paper form when applying for a tax file number. 9news By the end of next year, MyGovID will be trialled across multiple areas for business and tax applications. The government has said if this program is successful, the initiative could be used to apply for a passport and possibly allow travellers to use their face instead of a passport. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

liver injury: In an interview with 60 Minutes reporter Liz Hayes, Dr Paul Clark said he has seen several patients suffering liver failure and liver injury, with herbal medications the probable cause, according to Nine News Australia. Liver transplant surgeon Dr Paul Clark. 60 Minutes We commonly see people on herbal medications who come in with liver failure and liver injury, Dr Clark told Hayes. To improve your experience update it here News World60 Minutes Popular supplements could cause liver failure, surgeon warns By Sammi Taylor 60 Minutes Digital Producer10 52pm Feb 10, 2019Facebook Tweet MailA leading liver transplant surgeon has warned Australians of the dangers of supplements, citing cases of liver failure caused by popular products such as Valerian and green tea extract. It worries me that we have these time bombs out there ticking, that people feel these things are harmless. But herbal supplements, most of which are available without prescription on the shelves at supermarkets, chemists and health food stores, are not harmless and doctors warn they could be deadly. Every year in Australia alone, up to 12 Australians receive liver transplants because of acute reactions to a variety of herbs and supplements. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.