#impact of coronavirus on australian business

[findyournextoffice]

Business Continuity Planning: A Comprehensive Guide In Singapore

Within the first three months of 2020, businesses around the world have faced both localized risks like the Australian bushfires and Iran-US conflicts, as well as worldwide threats like the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Many businesses were interrupted, forcing them to close.

As a result, organizations must always be prepared for incidents that could disrupt day-to-day operations, disrupt supply chains, or harm essential infrastructure. This can be accomplished by implementing a Business Continuity Plan (BCP), which is designed to reduce the impact of disruptive events on enterprises.

What is a BCP and what is its purpose?

BCP, as the name implies, is the process of keeping business activity and transactions flowing. It acts as a deterrent to disruptive occurrences that impede corporate operations, such as cyber-attacks, natural catastrophes, pandemics, and terrorist actions.

Why is a BCP required?

You continue to earn money.

You devise a consistent method of generating revenue in the face of disruptive circumstances.

Businesses may have some financial reserves to help them weather short-term downturns. However, if disruptive occurrences halt corporate operations for an Serviced Office extended length of time, such reserves will be drained. Even if firms have insurance, it is doubtful that insurers will pay all losses caused by disruptive occurrences.

When disruptive events occur, the deployment of BCP helps organizations continue with their contractual responsibilities and ensures that some money continues to accrue to them from their clients.

You uphold your legal commitments to employees.

Employers in Singapore have a legal obligation to ensure the health and safety of their workers at work under Section 12 of the Workplace Safety and Health Act. The First Schedule of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act imposes an additional legal obligation on employers who engage foreign employees for the "upkeep and maintenance of (foreign employees)".

What Does a BCP Include?

Given that every one event might cause a variety of disruptive impacts, there is no "template" BCP for businesses to follow; instead, each BCP must be tailored to the disruptive events to which businesses intend to respond.

Nonetheless, a BCP might be constructed to include the following system:

Allows for alternate employment arrangements.

Makes use of precise blueprints for the rehabilitation of any vital infrastructure damage.

Look for alternate supplies to reduce company disruption.

Making alternate work arrangements:

Disruptive incidents can make day-to-day workplace operations difficult. For example, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, less workplace engagement is being prioritized to prevent virus spread.

As a result, alternate work arrangements such as "remote working" or "work from home" could be established as part of your BCP to enable the smooth continuation of the company while not severing contact between employees.

In addition, your BCP could include policies for separating employees into office and home-based teams, with teams rotating between working from home and at the workplace, and for prohibiting interactions between team members.

How to Create and Implement a Business Continuity Plan?

There are five general rules to follow when creating a BCP. These criteria can be summarised as the 5As, which will be explained in the order in which they should be considered.

1. Form a BCP team. 

A BCP team should be formed ahead of any catastrophe. To prevent duplication of roles and to guarantee that plans are easily transformed into actions, this team can be divided into a "command" group and an "action" group.

The "command" group should be made up of members of the organization's leadership team who have a broad understanding of how the numerous moving pieces of an organization work together.

2. Evaluate potential business threats

The BCP team should generate a list of probable organizational threats. To minimize blind spots in this assessment, they should follow up on this first brainstorm with a consultation of the larger organization via surveys and interviews.

Once a list of potential risks to the organization has been produced, the BCP team should investigate how these threats will influence the organization's day-to-day operations. In this case, the varied viewpoints and knowledge of the "command" and "action" groups will serve to ensure an overall understanding of the implications of prospective threats.

3. Plan of Action

Steps 1 and 2 will set the framework for the development of an action plan, which should be divided into three phases:

Prevention, response, and recovery are all important.

4. Acceptance

When disruptive events occur, any action plan should be approved by the BCP team's "command" group before being implemented.

Existing action plans will always be based on hypothetical circumstances, and the "command" group will be able to fine-tune the selected action plan in response to any continuing business changes.

5. Audit

The BCP should be audited regularly, either internally or by external specialists.

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[esgdatainrate]

Australia Balustrade Forecast to 2031 with Key Companies Profile, Supply, Demand and SWOT Analysis

Australia Balustrade Market Statistics- 2027

The Australia balustrade market size was valued at $44.1 million in 2019, and is projected to reach $54.5 million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 4.0% from 2020 to 2027. The balustrade is a handrail supported by balusters, especially installed in balcony, terrace, and others. These balustrades are available in various sizes, patterns as well as materials for installation in residential and commercial spaces.

Rise in demand for commercial infrastructure developments in Australia drives the Australia balustrade market growth. For instance, Canberra’s largest independent hotelier DOMA built and inaugurated Little National hotel in Sydney in September 2020. Similarly, in December 2020, Australian boutique hotel group opened Lance more Crossley St. in Melbourne, which includes 113 private guest rooms with an exotic interior. Moreover, many commercial construction companies are engaged in business expansion in Australia to expand their production base and increase their production. Such factors offer lucrative growth opportunities for the market players during the forecast period.

In addition, surge in urbanization and population have fueled the demand for balustrade in residential and commercial spaces. Moreover, rise in demand for residential buildings is expected to continue to drive the Australia balustrade market growth. In addition, in June 2020, Prime minister of Australia announced the HomeBuilder scheme worth $688 million for Australians who are looking to build or renovate their houses. The grants are open to people whose income is less than $125,000 annually. In addition, in May 2020, Property Council of Australia (PCA) recommended a $50,000 new home boost scheme to help the building industry. However, the fluctuation in raw material prices may hinder the market growth.

The novel coronavirus is rapidly spreading across various countries and regions, causing enormous impact on lives of people and overall community. Originating as a crisis to human health, it now poses significant threat to the worldwide trade, economy, and finance. The impact of lockdown, owing to COVID-19 is vague and economic recovery of Australia balustrade manufacturers is completely based on its cash reserves. Market players can afford a complete lockdown only for a limited period, after which they would have to alter their investment plans. The Australia balustrade manufacturers need to emphasize on protecting their staff, operations, and supply chain partners to effectively respond toward immediate crisis and discover new ways of working after coronavirus cases begin to decline.

The Australia balustrade market is segmented on the basis of railing type, material type, and application. On the basis of railing type, the market is divided into interior railing, and exterior railing. On the basis of material type, it is classified into stainless steel, aluminum, wood, glass, and others. On the basis of application, the market is divided into residential, and non-residential.

Competition Analysis

Key companies profiled in the Australia balustrade market report include Absolute Balustrades, Advance Metal Industries (AMIA), Aluline, Aluminum Balustrades, Ammi Balustrades, Balustrading WA, Betta Balustrades, Oxworks, Protector Aluminum, and Ullrich.

Full Report With TOC:-https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/australia-balustrade-market-A11093

[thenextrush]

Sydney Streetcam: Dining Scene Lockdown - How to support your local restaurants

Sydney Streetcam: Dining Scene Lockdown - How to support your local restaurants #sydney #cityofsydney #lockdown #pandemic #covid19 #coronavirus #auspol #nswpol #smallbusiness #sydneyeats #menulog @zomatosyd @zomato @menulog

Self Isolation Entertainment:  Netflix  |  Amazon Prime  |YouTube Originals  | Apple TV Plus |  Spotify Playlist

FREE meals delivered to Brisbane Teachers

Health Updates for Prepaid phone users that are FREE

Second Simulus Package Breakdown: Australia

What drugs are being tested against Coronavirus

General Health Articles

The walk up and down the usually bustling streets of Sydney’s central…

[othersociologist]

The Economic and Social Costs of COVID-19

This is the last in this series about Race and COVID-19. Our panel looks at the impact of the pandemic on undocumented migrant workers, whose labour is exploited in Australia. The economy depends upon the work of racialised people, exposing them to high risk through the casualised frontline services that have kept the health system, and other businesses, going during lockdown. At the same time, racialised people are provided inadequate protections against infection, including poor personal protective equipment. Racialised people in general are disproportionately employed in sectors that have the highest rates of Coronavirus, including in hospitals, factories and abattoirs, where they are given little workplace rights, including sick leave. In other cases, migrant workers and international students were left without a safety net when Australia went into lockdown. They were simply told to go home, or else make do without the economic subsidies available to other Australians, even though for many of these migrants, Australia is their home. 

 Our panellists talk about the ‘punitive immigration policies’ which have impacted undocumented workers during the Coronavirus crisis, and how the theory on ‘curated storytelling’ plays out in race dynamics during the pandemic. 

Panellists 

Sanmati Verma is an Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law. She has practiced exclusively in the area of migration law since her admission to practice in 2010. She is a migrant rights activist and immigration lawyer with the United Workers Union and the Migrant Workers Centre. In addition to her practice, Sanmati conducts regular community legal education and training seminars in refugee and migration law. She is currently a member of the Law Institute of Victoria’s ‘Legacy Caseload Working Group’ and was previously the chair of the Refugee Law Reform Committee. Sanmati was nominated for the Law Council of Australia’s award for Young Migration Lawyer of the Year in 2014 and 2015. 

Sujatha Fernandes is a Professor of Political Economy and Sociology at the University of Sydney. Previously she was a Professor of Sociology at Queens College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Fernandes is the author of Cuba Represent! Cuban Arts, State Power, and the Making of New Revolutionary Cultures (Duke University Press, 2006), Who Can Stop the Drums? Urban Social Movements in Chávez’s Venezuela (Duke University Press, 2010), Close to the Edge: In Search of the Global Hip Hop Generation (Verso, 2011), and Curated Stories: The Uses and Misuses of Storytelling (Oxford University Press, 2017). Her latest book is The Cuban Hustle: Culture, Politics, Everyday Life (Duke University Press, 2020). She is an editorial board member of Transition: The Magazine of Africa and the Diaspora.SHOW LESS

[siancore]

Please note: This information comes from the Department of Premier and Cabinet’s Equality Branch. I’ve worked in partnership with them. They do some good work with our rainbow communities and have staff who belong to said communities. 

As we enter Stage 4 restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne and Stage 3 restrictions in regional Victoria, financial and mental health support is available for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people seeking help during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Financial support

Many people across Victoria have lost work or have had their hours reduced due to the economic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Victorian Government is providing financial support to individuals and businesses affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19). This includes a worker support payment and hardship payment for people required to self-isolate or quarantine, emergency food relief and an emergency rent relief grant.

For information on the range of financial support available see:

Victorian Government     information: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/financial-support-coronavirus-covid-19#extreme-hardship-support-program.

Commonwealth Government     information: https://treasury.gov.au/coronavirus

 For those people ineligible for income support

The Victorian Government is offering relief payments to international students, which can be found at: https://www.studymelbourne.vic.gov.au/news-updates/international-student-emergency-relief-fund

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (03 9326 6066) and the Australian Red Cross (www.redcross.org.au) may be able to provide basic needs and assistance to asylum seekers, refugees and other temporary visa holders experiencing extreme hardship.

Importantly, the coronavirus (COVID-19) test is free for everyone in Victoria. This includes people without a Medicare card, such as visitors from overseas, migrant workers and asylum seekers.

Anyone who is legally allowed to work in Australia is also eligible to participate in the Working for Victoria initiative, which helps jobseekers find work and access online training, and helps employers quickly find workers with the skills and experience they need. For more information, please see: https://www.vic.gov.au/workingforvictoria

 Mental health support

Many people, including  LGBTIQ people, are experiencing mental health challenges at this time.

For advice on looking after your mental health during the pandemic and a list of support services, including LGBTIQ-specific support services, see:

Victorian Government     information: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/mental-health-resources-coronavirus-covid-19

Commonwealth Government     information: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/ongoing-support-during-coronavirus-covid-19/looking-after-your-mental-health-during-coronavirus-covid-19-restrictions.

 The Commonwealth Government is providing an extra 10 Medicare-subsidised psychological therapy sessions for Victorians affected by the second wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

For the most up-to-date information on the coronavirus (COVID-19), visit the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) website dhhs.vic.gov.au or contact the dedicated coronavirus hotline 24/7 on 1800 675 398.

[swarajya7793]

Significant Impact of COVID-19 on Liquid Natural Gas in the Chemical and Materials Industry | Data Bridge Market Research

COVID-19 Impact on Liquid Natural Gas in the Chemical and Materials Industry

The epidemic of COVID-19 has caused immense and unforeseen social and economic tension. Its consequences are serious and it is too early to assess results, although its duration is uncertain. The LNG business is influenced in a variety of areas, with some obstacles but still having some prospects. The LNG industry will theoretically recover from this crisis more healthily than at the beginning of this year.

The first issue that impacted LNG (liquefied natural gas) was the collapse in the prices of crude oil. Brent crude oil dropped by mid-March 2020 to USD 24.88 per bbl from USD 70 per bbl in January 2020. The inclination to USD 34 per bbl in March compared with USD 64 per bbl in January may contribute to a decline in the price of LNG contracts, but the time gap embedded for other contracts which imply that the factors do not operate before mid-year. The average is around USD 64 per bbl.

Most of the customers gained lower spot rates last year because the majority of LNG was supplied under term contracts. In December 2019, the average LNG prices were USD 9.24 per MBtu imported into Japan. The real landed price could be half of that by mid-2020. Subsequent Asian markets are emerging from the current coronavirus or COVID-19. Crisis, low prices of the LNG are likely to boost the demand in the desired market.

Experts can see iron ore alternatives in Japan and Korea for gas / LNG, but demand in South Asia could be higher. Across Europe, a constructive reaction to demand is not expected to occur. For some time now prices were low as LNG traded is linked to gas hub prices instead of oil. Shortening has contributed to the lower gas usage and this is anticipated to decline in the second quarter as Europe ends the heating season. In March, LNG imports to Italy would possibly sum to only about one-third of last year's supply level in March.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON LNG

Gas industries are now experiencing fresh threats as a consequence of two events: the COVID 19 pandemics and global oil demand fluctuations as a result in the shortage of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Along with this, the existing imbalance between supply and demand in LNG markets will intensify and lengthen, contributing to a lower price setting. It could threaten, in the short term, up to 8% of global demand for LNG (over 25 million tonnes, or MTPA), whereas another one or two years could continue in the low price setting.

Current industry developments will jeopardize potential ventures and bring some firms under tremendous financial pressure including offshore gas discovery and development businesses, LNG suppliers and project developers. Meanwhile, purchasers of LNG will leverage on low rates to improve the contractual terms and facilitate the change from coal to natural gas. All companies are now checking their competitiveness and strengthening their business place in this modern world whether they maximize the gains of surplus or mitigate their disadvantages. The LNG industry controlled the effects of excess production until the COVID-19 pandemic. After 2015, global liquefaction production development peaked over 30 MTPA annually and the availability of LNG grew by about 10% each year. Markets could absorb this extra supply by a sluggish Chinese gas market growth in the early quarter of 2019 and by northeastern Asian demand contraction, pushing spot prices from 7 to 11 dollars per million British thermal units (mmbtu) in Europe and Asia to less than USD 5 per mmbtu.

The condition is predicted to escalate significantly with COVID-19. Through reducing economic growth, the pandemic has reduced the demand for natural gas in China, the second largest importer of LNG before now and the most steadily increasing LNG industry. While economic performance in China indicates a turnaround, Chinese natural gas demand growth would slip by half from previous estimates, at the annualized pace of inflation.

IMPACT ON DIFFERENT LNG

TRANSPORTATION LNG

The lock-ins was at sights as a consequence of rising prices for shipping to global markets and fast breakeven shale economies in the Covid-19. Companies in the value chain will react quickly, evaluate their position in light of the current business climate and take advantage of the short and long-term opportunity to gain value.

For instance,

In March, the Platts Gulf Coast Marker, which reflects the economies of American exports of LNG, was down below the Henry Hub. The U.S. LNG also seems vulnerable in a crisis- Asian consumers will just incur the toll payment for the cancelation of the U.S. LNG freight, whereas the cancelation of Australian or Qatar LNG freight requires the whole shipment to be billed or charged.

INDUSTRIAL AND POWER LNG

Major market players, similar to other LNG import companies, look unstable, this is most likely due to the contraction in business growth will lead to short-term impacts in energy production and the manufacturing companies. Early indicators in Italy have shown that after social distancing initiatives have been introduced, demand in certain sectors could have decreased in impacted regions by over 10 percent. While low LNG prices will allow some opportunities to switch to fuel in the short run, the structural and temporary existence of demand for natural gas is likely to restrict any potential upside on many markets, in conjunction with a rapidly falling overall energy demand.

COMPANIES STRATEGIC INITIATIVES DURING COVID-19

·         Wärtsilä launched the compact reliq reliquary machine in July 2020, which is designed to reliquify boil-off gas (BOG) on-board gas carriers and LNG bunker vessels and to maintain the cargo cold in all working conditions. The lightweight architecture enables it to be mounted on established vessels without significant maintenance research

·         In April 2020, Arctic LNG 1, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NOVATEK received approval for geological surveys, discovery and development in Gydan Peninsula with SLH 16637 NR in the Bukharinskiy sub-subsolar ship field. The concession area is partly situated in the offshore waters of a Bays of Ob and Taz in the independent state of Yamal-Nenets (YNAO) and will be granted for duration of up to 2050. The conditions of authorization mandate that the LNG natural resource should be utilized in the YNAO and neighboring water areas for liquefied natural gas infrastructure

·         In June 2020, Wärtsilä’s emissions abatement technology received order to provide its volatile organic compounds (VOC) recovery system together with an LNG fuel gas supply system, for two new 124,000 DWT shuttle tankers. The ships have been ordered by Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers (KNOT), a leading independent owner and operator of shuttle tankers, and will be built at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine yard in Korea. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in April

·         In June 2020, Gazprom and RusKhimAlyans (project developer of the integrated gas processing and liquefaction complex; business was formed on a parity basis by Gazprom and RusGazDobycha) have concluded 20-year commercial contracts for the production of feed gas and selling of gas. The interconnected structure must also be supplied with raw resources in the long run

·         Gasum has launched new liquefied gas bunkering station in June 2020. The station is situated in the Port of Nynäshamn, Sweden, at the Ports of Stockholm. The new station had provided the innovative bunkering technologies that allow the ships to bunker environmentally sustainable fuel quicker than ever before. By implementing various strategies such as growing production capacity, new product releases, product availability, the manufacturers aim to achieve optimum market growth. The growth of LNG in application such as, transportation, industrial and power, and others is anticipated to offer favorable opportunities for the key players operating in the market. Factors such as the places for distribution and sales are expected to help improve the company's overall role. Small domestic players and emerging players in developing countries in particular are likely to gain opportunities to establish themselves on the market

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the effect of Covid-19 on the availability of LNG would continue much longer than the effects on global demand for LNG. The U.S. has been the new epicenter for the epidemic of COVID after the move from China to Europe, as the third most populated nation in the world and the biggest natural gas user, the implementation of restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID is expected to have a significant impact. Effects on the world demand for electricity due to freezing weather from mid-March until the end of April, the rise in usage was led by an improvement in increasing the gasoline prices in the residential and business market. Whereas throughout the industrial sector gas use has been very stable and over the span has risen marginally. The energy sector seems most affected by COVID, but despite a downward trend in electricity demand, has increased gas and renewable energy production, especially coal, is offsetting energy generation from many other sources.

With the transition of Covid-19 from China to America, the USA has been the global epicenter for the COVID epidemic. The implementation of restrictions to limit the spread of COVID is expected to have a significant impact on the global gas market, is the third-largest country with the population and the largest consumer of gas. Since these restrictions in the US were enforced at the start of March, the consumption of petrol rose relative to 2019. The rise in usage is motivated by cooler weather, which raised the demand for gas in the residential and business sectors from mid-March to the end of April 2020.

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Meat Is Latest Cyber Victim as Hackers Hit Top Supplier JBS (Bloomberg) The world’s biggest meat supplier has become the latest casualty of a cybersecurity attack. JBS SA shut its North American and Australian computer networks after an organized assault on Sunday on some of its servers, the company said by email. The attack sidelined two shifts and halted processing at one of Canada’s largest meatpacking plants, while the company canceled all beef and lamb kills across Australia, industry website Beef Central said. Some kill and fabrication shifts have also been canceled in the U.S. Hackers now have the commodities industry in their crosshairs with the JBS attack coming just three weeks after the operator of the biggest U.S. gasoline pipeline was targeted. It’s also happened as the global meat industry battles lingering Covid-19 absenteeism after recovering from mass outbreaks last year that saw plants shut and supplies disrupted.

China’s future gateway to Latin America is a mega-port in Peru (America Economia) Despite local opposition, Chinese investors are pumping billions into the Chancay project, a massive port complex north of Lima that will boost trade between China and Latin America as a whole, reports Gonzalo Torrico in business magazine America Economia. The Chancay port complex, with an initial investment of $1.3 billion, will turn this fishing and farming town into a regional hub that could redefine shipping lines in the entire southern Pacific. Since 2019, the project’s main stakeholder is the Chinese state firm Cosco Shipping Ports (60%). Cosco is a partner in 52 port projects worldwide. But in the Americas, Chancay is the first being built with Chinese capital. The complex is expected to be fully functional by 2024, helping consolidate China’s influence in South America, and in Peru especially. In the last decade, this country has become the regional crux of China’s economic and geopolitical interests. So far, Chinese firms have invested more than $30 billion in Peru, a figure exceeded only by money spent in Brazil. The principal sector is mining, which has absorbed more than half all these investments and has proven to be an excellent source for the mineral materials China needs to keep its industrial sector humming. One of those materials is copper, which Peru produces in great quantity.

More boats on canals and rivers than in 18th century as thousands opt for life afloat (Guardian) Little more than six months ago, Paul and Anthony Smith-Storey were still living in a three-bedroom semi-detached house near St Helens in Merseyside. But now the couple—and their dog, Dexter—have traded it all in for a life afloat in a two-metre-wide narrowboat on Peak Forest Canal in Derbyshire. “We took the equity out of the house, bought the boat and thought we’d enjoy it while we were still alive,” said Anthony, 48, an NHS sonographer. They are not the only ones. Record numbers are spending time on Britain’s rivers and canals, according to the Canal and River Trust. Such is their popularity that the charity, which manages 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales, says: “There are more boats on our canals now than at the height of the industrial revolution.” The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) said there are about 80,000 powered boats across the waterways of England, Scotland and Wales. Boat builders and sellers put the surge in interest down to the pandemic.

NSA spying row: US and Denmark pressed over allegations (BBC) European powers have pressed the US and Denmark over reports the two worked together to spy on top European politicians, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Danish broadcaster DR said Denmark’s Defence Intelligence Service (FE) collaborated with the US National Security Agency (NSA) to gather information from 2012 to 2014. Mrs Merkel is among those demanding answers. “This is not acceptable between allies, and even less between allies and European partners,” said French President Emmanuel Macron, after speaking with Mrs Merkel.

The Taliban Say They’ve Changed. On the Ground, They’re Just as Brutal. (WSJ) During a recent trip, Kamaluddin visited a barbershop to obtain the illicit pleasures of clean-shaven cheeks and a fashionable mustache. But the shopkeeper, 25 years old, planned to let it regrow before heading home, wary of incurring the Taliban’s wrath. His father and brother were caught last month using smartphones in their home district of Arghistan, an area effectively ruled by the movement. The insurgents confiscated the devices, which could be used for supposedly un-Islamic behavior such as playing music and videos, and forced the men to swallow their SIM cards. Kamaluddin recounted the incident as he waited to return from Kandahar, the government-controlled provincial capital. “They will put me in prison if they see me like this,” he said. “If the Taliban come back, they will bring darkness.” The Taliban, ousted from power by a U.S.-led invasion 20 years ago, are poised to expand their influence as American forces leave the country. The group has sought in recent months to present themselves as a responsible state actor to regional powers and the West. Indeed, some of their most-violent punishments, such as amputations for accused thieves, are used less frequently than in the 1990s as they seek to avoid alienating Afghans. Yet accounts from Kamaluddin and others living under Taliban rule, as well as insurgents themselves, suggest that the group’s governance is as ruthless as ever.

Delhi Reopens a Crack (NYT) The Indian capital, which just weeks ago suffered the devastating force of the coronavirus, with tens of thousands of new infections daily and funeral pyres that burned day and night, is taking its first steps back toward normalcy. Officials on Monday reopened manufacturing and construction activity, allowing workers in those industries to return to their jobs after six weeks of staying at home to avoid infection. The move came after a sharp drop in new infections, at least by the official numbers, and as hospital wards emptied and the strain on medicine and supplies has eased. Life on the streets of Delhi is not expected to return to normal immediately. Schools and most businesses are still closed. The Delhi Metro system, which reopened after last year’s nationwide lockdown, has suspended service again. But the city government’s easing of restrictions will allow people to begin returning to work—and, more broadly, to start to repair India’s ailing, pandemic-struck economy.

Myanmar carries out air strikes after militia attacks (Reuters) Myanmar’s military used artillery and helicopters on Monday against anti-junta militias in the country’s east, witnesses and rebels said, forcing residents to flee and join thousands of others displaced by recent fighting in the region. Residents of Kayah state bordering Thailand said the military was firing artillery from positions inside the state capital Loikaw into Demoso, about 14.5 km (9 miles) away, where a People’s Defence Force said it had attacked troops and was coming under heavy fire. Myanmar’s military is fighting on multiple fronts and struggling to impose order since its Feb. 1 coup against Aung San Suu Kyi and her elected government, sparking nationwide protests and paralysing strikes. Decades-old conflicts between the military and ethnic minority armies have also reignited, while militias allied with a shadow government have stepped up attacks on the army, which has responded with heavy weapons and air strikes, forcing thousands to flee.

North Korea’s missile warning (Foreign Policy) North Korea warned the United States on Monday that relaxing South Korea’s missile limits could lead to an “acute and instable situation” in the region. “The termination step is a stark reminder of the U.S. hostile policy toward (North Korea) and its shameful double-dealing,” said Kim Myong Chol, an unofficial mouthpiece for Pyongyang, in a statement issued by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency. The United States recently lifted a 500-mile range restriction on South Korea’s missile program, in place since 1979. South Korea’s industrial ability to ramp up new missile production “could lead to an arms race with devastating implications,” Donald Kirk wrote last week in Foreign Policy.

Australian court upholds ban on most international travel (AP) An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a challenge to the federal government’s draconian power to prevent most citizens from leaving the country so that they don’t bring COVID-19 home. Australia is alone among developed democracies in preventing its citizens and permanent residents from leaving the country except in “exceptional circumstances” where they can demonstrate a “compelling reason.” Most Australians have been stranded in their island nation since March 2020 under a government emergency order made under the powerful Biosecurity Act. Surveys suggest most Australians applaud their government’s drastic border controls. The Australian newspaper published a survey last month that found 73% of respondents said the international border should remain closed until at least the middle of next year.

Lebanon’s economic crisis (Foreign Policy) Lebanon’s economic collapse could rank within the top 3 “most severe crises episodes globally since the mid-nineteenth century,” according to a new report issued by the World Bank. The report cites the “brutal and rapid” contraction of Lebanon’s GDP, which dropped from $55 billion in 2018 to $33 billion in 2020. “The social impact of the crisis, which is already dire, could rapidly become catastrophic,” the report notes, as more than half of Lebanon’s population is already living below the poverty line.

Congo killings (Foreign Policy) At least 55 people were killed in overnight attacks near two villages in eastern Congo, close to the border with Uganda. Congolese officials blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamist insurgent group that in March was deemed a foreign terrorist organization by the United States. The group killed more than 850 people in 2020, according to the United Nations. At the beginning of May, President Félix Tshisekedi declared a state of siege across the affected regions, surging troops in a bid to quell violence.

[shruticmi-universe]

COLLAGEN FILLER MARKET ANALYSIS

Collagen Filler Market, by Product Type (Collagen with PMMA and Collagen without PMMA), by Source (Bovine, Porcine, and Others), by Application (Face Rejuvenation, Wrinkles, Scar Treatment, Lip Treatment, Cellulite Reduction, and Others), By End User (Hospitals, Dermatology Clinics, and Others), and by Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) - Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2020 - 2027

 Collagen fillers are dermal fillers used in skin surgery to reduce skin wrinkles, improve appearance of scars, and to eliminate lumps formed in lips. Collagen fillers are also called fat injectable fillers/soft tissue augmentation. Collagen fillers are used in plastic cosmetic surgery by injecting collagen into the skin in order to fill up the area being treated in patients. Dermal fillers such as collagen fillers have temporary cosmetic effect as they contain materials such as collagen which is absorbed by the body in a particular interval of time.

The global collagen filler market is estimated to be valued at US$ 393.8 million in 2020 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period (2020-2027).

Figure 1. Global Collagen Filler Market Value (US$ Mn), 2016-2027

The increasing demand for cosmetic procedures such as smile correction and lip treatments across the globe is driving growth of the global collagen filler market. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s 2018 report, around 23,266,374 cosmetic procedures, including smile line corrections, lip treatments, scar treatment and face lift procedures, were carried out in 2018. Moreover, according to same source, there was 15% of increase in cosmetic procedures across the globe in the last four years.

Furthermore, initiatives and guidelines imposed by various national regulating bodies are also driving growth of the global collagen filler market. For instance, in February 2020, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency published guidelines for individuals undergoing cosmetic surgeries which are as follows: cosmetic procedures should only carried out by the registered health practitioner in Australia, individuals should know the treatments and should ask details about the procedures before they are conducted, individuals should know which medical devices or products are used in cosmetic procedures, and health practitioners should take informed consent of individuals before conducting the cosmetic procedures.

 Global Collagen Filler Market – Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019, the disease has spread to over 100 countries across the globe and the World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency. According to the World Health Organization’s report, manifestation of coronavirus (COVID-19) has resulted in more than 33.1 million infected individuals worldwide as of 28 September 2020.

Furthermore, due to COVID-19 pandemic, cosmetic surgery governing authorities implemented new set of guidelines for carrying out cosmetic procedures. For instance, in May 2002, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, health practitioners should strictly avoid in-office visits and should follow virtual consultations, carry out regular COVID-19 testing of the staff in hospitals as well as regular temperature checks, follow social distancing guidelines in hospitals, mandate use of personal protection equipment for health practitioners while checking patients, implement sanitization of floors, desk and doors in hospitals, eliminate the patient waiting areas in hospitals whenever possible amid the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid the spread of coronavirus infection.

Figure 2. Global Collagen Filler Market, By Share (%), By Region, 2020

In North America, key companies are focusing on strategic collaborations and partnerships to expand the use of dermal fillers for cosmetic procedures which is expected to drive the market growth in this region. For instance, in May 2020, Sinclair Pharma, a company operating in medical aesthetics, collaborated with Suneva Medical Inc., company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing novel, differentiated regenerative products in U.S. The collaboration will lead to expand the Sunneva Medical Inc., aesthetic portfolio and help in strengthening its market positioning.

In Europe, the collagen filler market is expected to exhibit significant growth during the forecast period owing to increasing focus of companies on obtaining product approvals to strengthen their position in the global collagen filler market. For instance, in January 2018, Sinclair Pharma, a medical aesthetic company, received sales approval for the collagen filler, Ellanse, in Brazil from the Brazil's National Sanitary Surveillance Agency, ANVISA.

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   Key Players

Major players operating in the global collagen filler market are Allergan, Inc.,  Johnson & Johnson, Collplant Holdings Ltd, Ortho Dermatologics, Inc.,   Suneva Medical, Inc., Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA, Surgical Specialties Corporation, Sinclair Pharma, Inamed GmbH, and Endo International plc.

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[somescribblestoperuse]

A moment in history to create change for the better

As I fly out of Phnom Penh, the sun sets, figuratively and literally, on my four-month Cambodian adventure, cut short by two-thirds. The goodbyes were short and sweet - done on purpose as I’ve learnt my weakness over years gone by (tears are usually guaranteed). Even though anxieties and stress and adrenaline have been running high this week, at the same time, it’s not total despondency. It’s bittersweet as I look forward to seeing family and friends. I feel hopeful there is still more to come for my story in this wonderful country and with those I’ve met. Just under different circumstances - at least I would hope…

Within 4 days I’ve packed up my life (for the second time in 4 months), as we were told to return home ASAP. I’m returning to a country full of people that have gone into a state of panic (which I don’t think I’m quite prepared for alongside re-entry shock). But in amongst all the chaos, I realise we really are so privileged as Australians. We have a government that I have enough confidence in to intervene as necessary to get us home, if anything went wrong. I have money to fund my return. I have a support network of family and friends who will provide food, supplies and shelter as needed. While I acknowledge there are many within Australia that will experience their own hardships, especially with jobs jeopardised, we will recover in time - in terms of economy, jobs, health care and otherwise. Our country is developed enough to create innovative solutions and evolve and adapt accordingly, if we focus on the opportunities.

I can’t say the same about any of these points for Cambodia. Most of all, I have serious concerns about the impact this pandemic will have on the Khmer people. Foreigners (Barang) are leaving in hordes. Tourism will die down indefinitely affecting many businesses and essentially the livelihood of many. There is a fine line between those who do and don’t live in poverty. For the average tuk tuk driver, a small decline in their daily income can be the difference between eating or not. For the average family, one health scare - in a country with essentially a non-existent health care system - can be the difference between their children attending school or dropping out to earn money for the family. 

It’s a scary time for everyone indeed. But is there any silver lining? I’m an optimistic person and would like to say there is. However, this once again may be coming from a place of privilege - where I don’t have many immediate worries apart from getting myself home and finding another job using a skill set that is fairly adaptable.

So that silver lining: I’d summarize my hope to be that we learn greater awareness, respect and empathy for our fellow humans and this world as a whole. For many that contract COVID-19, they will recover. But that’s not the point - it’s having an awareness of the potential impact on others and doing something to help them. It’s about not fighting with someone in the middle of Woolworths for toilet paper but rather respecting each other and not letting fear dominate. It’s about having empathy for others and realising that we are incredibly connected and social creatures, who rely on one another, especially mentally as we all go into isolation. We have already seen a wonderful example of the good side of humanity come out of Italy, with people gathering on their balconies to sing and dance along to music blasted throughout the area. And those who are volunteering in their community to buy food and supplies for the more vulnerable. And many more examples I’m sure.

This empathy needs to extend outside one’s own country. We need to respect the fragility of this globalised world we live in. If we don’t have empathy and an understanding of the world beyond our borders, we will continue to be baffled and severely affected by any future situations like Coronavirus because our scope was too narrow. We will also never fully understand the impressive impact we can make as a connected global community. 

What do I mean by this? Let’s look at the example already coming out of Venice - the canals are clear and wildlife is returning for the first time in a long time as a result of reduced tourism. This has happened in the space of weeks. Sure it’s taken a global crisis but we know it’s possible to create change - we just need to want it enough and to finally take action. It doesn’t have to take a global crisis to implement systemised measures. You might say, ‘yeah but human lives are at stake because of COVID-19 and that’s why we’ve done something about it’. But the thing is human lives will continue to be at stake as a result of environmental and climate change disasters. That’s what we learnt the hard way during the Australian bushfires this past summer. Let’s continue to learn from what’s happening at the moment. In Australia, we had the opportunity to take a stand after our bushfire crisis but we didn’t. Let’s not miss the opportunity again.

As a global community, we can make changes and a positive impact, together. Whether it’s for the environment, looking out for the mental wellbeing of others, or improving the systems we have in place for the vulnerable and underprivileged in our society who are severely affected by incidents and crisis. We just need respect, awareness and empathy for our fellow humans and the world as a whole.

For me, I like to think I have grown in these ways over the last four months in Cambodia but even moreso over the last few days (which you would hope considering I’m doing an awful lot of preaching right now). We were told to pack our things and leave. Don’t say goodbye to everyone. Don’t wait a couple of weeks. Just leave. I can’t even imagine being in a more vulnerable situation, such as an asylum seeker or refugee escaping their country because of war or famine or whatever it may be. Unimaginable fear with no place to go. It’s a position I hope I never have to be in. As I sit on the first leg of my flight home, I’m more grateful than ever before of both my life and the country I live in.

So what’s next? On a personal level, I’m looking forward to two weeks isolation, which may sound strange (and maybe don’t quote me on that in 5 days). I’ll need the time to recuperate, reflect and take those first steps to set myself up again. Also, can’t complain about some Netflix and couch time (again, fully aware of privilege here).

On a global scale, let’s get through these next few weeks and months together. Don’t let fear dominate. Be kind. This will become a significant moment in history with potential to change the world as we know it. Let’s not miss the opportunity to learn from it and create change for the better.

[thenextrush]

Coronavirus and agriculture - how worried should we be?

Coronavirus and agriculture - how worried should we be? #farmingfact @aussiefarms @saveaustfarming @farmingfirst #auspol #coronavirus #sydneybusiness #melbournebusiness #brisbane #adelaide #coronavirusoutbreak #coronavirusoutbreak

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. VISIT WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION FOR MORE

The coronavirus outbreak is already…

[buzzdixonwriter]

Duty Now For The Future (part six)

Small and mobile

There’s a Venn diagram to be made of the overlap among --

The tiny house community

The nomad community

Homeless people living in cars

These are all reactions to a capitalism driven consumer economy:   Buy real estate!  Build big house!  Fill them full of stuff!  Buy more real estate!  Build bigger house!  Buy more stuff! (Go deeply into debt paying us high interest rates on the inflated prices of your purchases.)

Somewhere in that diagram -- more to the tiny house side of the equation -- sit those who make a conscious choice of “Hold!  Enough!” and take steps to reduce their footprint and baggage.

At the other end, people forced out of homes and apartments desperately trying to keep their lives together long enough to get a roof over their heads.

In the middle (and I think this is a huge overlap in the nomad community) are those who, faced with the prospect of losing their permanent residence, tell others (and let’s be honest, themselves) that they voluntarily made the choice to take up the nomad lifestyle.

Now there’s a fourth overlap to add to the diagram:

People who won’t / can’t afford to travel abroad.

Soon-ok and I are extremely fortunate that we got to take some trips to Europe over the last decade or so, as well as going together to Korea, plus a few trips to Hawaii.

We are -- and will remain -- extremely leery of traveling anywhere by air in the future (by train or bus, too).

Unless and until there’s a vaccine, we’re a little leery of cramming ourselves into a metal tube with strangers for hours on end, then traveling to crowded tourist spots.

Even before the coronavirus we’d discussed when we should stop traveling by air for our trips and start traveling by car or train.

We enjoy Canada and would be delighted to return there, and the US still offers many under visited regions and attractions we’d love to see.

With tourism and airline travel taking a massive hit -- one from which they will not speedily recover due to lack of consumer confidence and high unemployment -- more Americans will opt for domestic travel and trips, driving their own vehicles.

Vans and SUVs will remain a favored vehicle since they can be easily converted or adapted to self-sufficient long distance traveling and tourism.

Campgrounds and trailer / RV parks already exist; the large amount of underused / abandoned shopping mall space offers opportunities to provide similar services for small scale urban travelers who don’t want to sleep out in the wild under the stars but in the comfort and safety of their own van, on a parking lot patrolled and maintained well enough to be safe.

This is good news for the domestic auto industry and the various companies that support it.

It will also put enormous pressure on bringing the price of self-driving vehicles down low.  Insurance companies will offer lower premiums to folks and families who let the car do the driving, and that, coupled with the appeal of just being able to sit back and enjoy the scenery / watch a video / read a book / take a nap / get ring-tailed drunk, will push that market forward.

Eventually we’ll reach a tipping point where a lot of people and their families will see more sense and cents in living in a vehicle than owning a home, and then real estate will take another tumble.  (What about the children, you ask?  Remote learning; the Australians have been doing it successfully in the outback for generations).

It’s not for everybody, but it’s sure gonna be for a lot of people.

. . .

Sports are broken and need to get fixed

Captain Lou Albano, when asked if professional wrestling was fixed, famously answered, “It wasn’t broken.”

Sports now are broken.

(I want to differentiate between sports in the forms of athletics, as in team sports for students, neighborhood bowling leagues, city marathons, etc., and sports as a business where personalities and icons are marketed to fans and the revenues derive less from the gate and more from advertising and merchandising incomes; we’ll be discussing primarily the latter here.)

I’m surprised that with all the numerous sports games and simulations out there, ESPN or some other entity failed to see the potential of wholly digital sports, pitting classic era teams against one another in a competition decided purely by AI.

Seriously, for the average fan sitting in front of their TV at home, what separates a digital team from a real team?

The personalities?

Okay, fine, you can recruit and groom real life personalities for the fans to idolize, but then you can stage everything else safely (and less expensively) in the digital realm.

Don’t raise your eyebrow at me; this is essentially what professional wrestling does.

People really interested in sports for the grace and skill watch amateur competitions as well as professional ones.

Fans interested only in proving their tribe is superior to other tribes, not so much.

You can still keep national / regional / state / city chauvinism going through digital imagery.

Of course, it will be argued that the opportunities for fixing such an event are rampant.

So?

The chauvinist fans just want to win, they don’t care how.  

The Boston fans can view a streaming channel where their teams wins the playoffs all the time; the New York fans get their channel where they win, etc., etc., and of course, etc.

Amateur athletics will reman unfixed, of course (well, officially unfixed).  People will watch those because (a) children or relatives are playing or (b) they play themselves.

The (b) group will watch televized tennis and golf because those are sports they enjoy and they hope to pick up pointers.

The (a) group will go to games and meets because that’s what family does.

(By the way, expect track and field, golf, tennis, volleyball, and related sports to rise in popularity among students and other amateurs; they allow play while social distancing.)

. . .

Capitalism is fixed and needs to be broken

Capitalism works when it’s kept on a leash with a muzzle and we pick up after it when it poops on people’s lawns.

What we face now is rabid coyote capitalism.

A big hunk of the problem will be self correction as major corporations will face a rapidly changing future and divest themselves of everything they consider marginal.

That’s gonna be a lot of stuff.

Dominos falling now will topple other dominos we can only guess at, but rest assured, corporations do not flourish when dominos topple.

Another part will be the realization that despite almost a century of lies by the 1% and their alt-right / cryptofascist stooges, less government is not better government.

For all the claims that a free market economy could respond more nimbly to changing circumstances, we now face a brutal pandemic that could have been blunted and was blunted by nations with a better handle on their economies.

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t be effectively mounted by a market based system for the brutally simple reason that there was no market for such a response before the pandemic occurred.

That’s the job of a government; to look ahead and anticipate and plan and prepare and at least have some coherent response to any number of threats that might suddenly arise.

In the past we had national governmental agencies that tracked pandemics and the spread of disease so as to minimize both their loss of life and the impact on the economy.

For all his sins and shortcomings, George W. Bush and his administration realize the threat pandemics posed and took great strides to organize America’s response so them should they occur.  Barack Obama built on that, organizing it even better, learning from mistakes made in earlier pandemics to make the response to the next one more efficient.

Donald Trump tore all that down in a fit of pique in order to pass the savings along to his billionaire donors.

It’s as if he closed down the fire department and then, when a five-alarm blaze broke out, asked his cronies to start designing smoke alarms.

A rising tide lifts all boats, but it drowns those who can’t get in one.

The other side of the COVID-19 pandemic will want a return to “normal” not “greatness”.

There is, of course, no genuine “normal” to return to.

What we can do is progress, move forward, make the next model of American society better.

A lot of people -- old white people, primarily -- aren’t going to like that.

COVID-19 may be trying to tell ya sumthin’, folks…

 ”I was born by a river, oh man, in this little old tent, oh Just like this river, I've been running ever since It's been a long, long time coming But I know, but I know, a change is gotta come Ooo yes it is” -- Otis Redding

 © Buzz Dixon

[rajaproperti-blog]

Can bushfires affect the real estate market?

Can bushfires affect the real estate market? - With heavy rains hitting NSW and dramatically reducing the number of active fires in the state, australian house prices two potential disruptors to the real estate market now stand side-by-side. They beg the question of what influence increasingly severe and reoccurring weather events may have on the real estate market and whether they are having an effect already.

Over this summer, property market in sydney more than 11 million hectares have been destroyed by bushfires while over 2,000 homes have been lost from fires over the summer.

While these fires and the advent of coronavirus have been marked as two significant potential impacts on the Australian economy in the short-term, harga rumah di australia there is also the question of how these fires will affect the real estate market or whether they will have much of an impact at all. While there have been structural losses to many homes, much of the destruction has occurred to bushland in and outside of national parks, which complicates the potential for fires to have an impact on the real estate market acutely.

Read More : bisakah orang indonesia membeli rumah di australia

How will increasingly frequent and large-scale fires affect insurance premiums?

Since September last year, approximately 8,500 claims worth $700 million in losses have been made to insurance companies. rumah di australia The Insurance Council of Australia, led by chief executive Rob Whelan, warned the Australian government in January that insurance premiums could rise due to these events without effective adaptation and mitigation. This involves measures such as reevaluating where we live and how we prepare against future bushfire effects.

Climate risk analyst Karl Mallon authored a report with the Climate Council in 2019 called ‘Compound Costs: harga rumah di melbourne How Climate Change is Damaging Australia’s Economy’, noting that the property market could lose $571 billion in value by 2030 due to climate change and consequent extreme weather.

The report extended this projection to estimate a loss of property values from climate change of $770 billion by 2100. However, these projections do focus on the effects of flooding more than fires. While the Commonwealth Bank’s 2018 annual report noted the impacts of flooding, inundation, apartemen di australia bushfires, soil contraction and wind as all having a potential impact on the major bank’s lending portfolio and insurance premiums, inundation/flooding was seen as the most significant.

“High risk properties make up only 0.01% of our portfolio (by outstanding balance) in 2020,” beli rumah di australia the report states, “and rises to be around 1% in 2060 if there are no changes in the way we lend in these areas.”

“Locations affected by climate risk are expected to experience an increase in maintenance and damage costs, property in perth leading to higher insurance costs, due to flooding, storms, bushfire and drought, with rising sea levels expected to have the most significant increase.”

The relatively small scale of structural damage caused by fires compared to floods poses less of a direct risk to the insurance industry and property prices, real estate australia but there may be a strong potential for indirect impacts.

Will bushfires affect property prices?

The same report from the Climate Council warned that the effects of climate change could potentially wipe off $571 billion from property values by 2050, australia house while the Actuaries Institute warned that 1 in 10 houses could become uninsurable by the end of the century due to climate change, but predictions like these are made harder to make when you consider certain shifts in how (technological advancements, mitigation, adaptation) and where we live in the future as we continue to adjust to increasingly extreme weather events.

In the short term, there are more indirect effects on real estate prices that may be harder to measure. house in australia These include pressures placed on living standards, industries and businesses that may have a cumulative effect on markets. For instance, air quality in Canberra over the 2019/20 summer fires was so poor that in early January the very department which oversees Australia’s response to disasters and emergencies, the Department of Home Affairs,

was forced to temporarily shut its offices, while the health effects of Canberra’s compromised air quality is not yet known. australia house prices The Washington Post reported that emergency room visits for asthma and breathing problems in Sydney “increased more than 34 percent in the period from Dec. 30 and Jan. 5 compared to a year earlier.”

This raises the potential for people to consider their future options and seek new destinations less prone to such risks (though as was seen with smoke reaching New Zealand, houses for sale in australia this can be hard to escape). Whether this has an effect on prices is unclear.

Similar indirect effects might be seen when considering industries such as tourism, which are impacted by these volatile summer seasons exactly when they expect and rely on peak tourist numbers. australia property If tourism and related small business industries are hit by repeated seasons as was seen this past summer, the commercial and residential real estate markets may be affected.

The rental system sees short term pressures placed on it during times of severe natural disaster, when people forced from their homes require immediate living alternatives. property in australia As part of the recovery from natural disasters such as fires, those that can afford to repair and rebuild faster than others can financially land back on their feet faster, potentially exacerbating inequalities in the market. This isn’t restricted to individuals but entire communities, such as those on Kangaroo Island, which saw severe fires that damaged almost half of the island.

Finally, as part of a growing awareness of increased risks from intense fire seasons, there is the potential effect from increasing demand for homes within urban centres and decreased demand for homes in regional markets, houses for sale melbourne growing this price divide between urban and regional markets.

In the short term, however, there seems to have been little impact on regional markets from the fires. Corelogic data for December dwelling values showed .5% month-on-month growth for regional NSW, .7% growth for regional Vic and .8% growth for regional Qld, despite the large-scale fires. melbourne property It may be too soon to be assessing the effects of the fires on regional areas of those states most impacted. Larger market forces may have played a stronger short-term role in house values, such as interest rate cuts,

the loosening of loan serviceability policies, and the fact that standard variable mortgage rates are sitting at rates not seen since the 1960s, with November seeing rates at 4.8% compared to a peak of 17% in November 1989. sydney property Capital cities on the eastern seaboard weren’t affected by bushfires, which is hardly surprising, with Sydney seeing values rise by 8.2% since finding a floor in May 2019.

What is clear from this past bushfire season is that the economic considerations being factored by major industries, such as the banking sector, houses for sale sydney have moved from abstract calculations in annual reports to real impacts on regular homeowners and that calculating the effects of increasingly volatile fire seasons is more complicated than simply looking at those areas immediately affected by bushfires.

[creditoau]

COVID-19 Information and Support for Small Businesses

This is a difficult time for many SMEs (small and medium sized businesses), with recent events leading to economic and personal challenges for many small businesses.

We have developed this page to keep small businesses informed about the impacts of COVID-19 on businesses in Australia, and the assistance options in place to support you.

We will be regularly updating this content to keep you informed of the latest information.

Cash Flow Support

Boosting Cash Flow for Employers

What is it?

Eligible businesses that withhold their employees’ tax to the ATO will receive a payment equal to 100% of the amount withheld between March and June 2020, up to a maximum payment of $50,000, with a minimum payment 10,000.

There is also an additional payment of up to $50,000, with a minimum of $10,000. To qualify for the additional payment, the entity must continue to be active for the periods June to September 2020.

Eligible entities will receive at least $20,000 up to a total of $100,000 under both payments.

How does it work?

The ATO will deliver the payment as a credit to your business upon lodgment of your activity statements.

Quarterly lodgers will be eligible to receive the payment for the quarters ending March 2020 and June 2020.

Monthly lodgers will be eligible to receive the payment for the March 2020, April 2020, May 2020 and June 2020 lodgments. To provide a similar treatment to quarterly lodgers, the payment for monthly lodgers will be calculated at three times the rate (300 per cent) in the March 2020 activity statement.Where the credit places the business in a refund position, the ATO will deliver the refund within 14 days. The minimum payment will be applied to the entities’ first lodgment.

Eligible entities who received initial cash flow boosts will receive additional payments, for the periods June to September 2020, equal to the total amount of initial cash flow boosts received. This will be delivered in either two or four instalments depending on your reporting period.

Amount:

Between $20,000 and $100,000 under both payments.

  When will it be received?

Initial payments between 28 April and 28 July 2020. Additional payments between July and October 2020.

Who is eligible?

SMEs and not-for-profits (including charities) that employ workers.

With an aggregated annual turnover under $50 million (based on prior year).

Active employers established prior to 12 March 2020. However, charities which are registered with the Australian Charities and Not for profits Commission will be eligible regardless of when they were registered, subject to meeting other eligibility requirements.

Made eligible payments you are required to withhold from (even if the amount you need to withhold is zero).

Government fact sheet:

Boosting cash for for employers

JobKeeper Payment

What is it?

A subsidy payment of $1,500 per fortnight per employee or sole trader for up to six months. The payment will help businesses affected by the Coronavirus retain their employees and continue to earn an income.

How does it work?

Employers and sole traders must apply to the ATO and provide supporting information demonstrating a downturn in revenue. In addition, the number of eligible employees employed by the business on a monthly basis must be reported.

Amount:

$1,500 before tax, per fortnight per employee for up to six months.

Who is eligible?

Businesses:

with revenue of less than $1 billion and experiencing a 30% decrease in revenue relative to a comparable period a year ago (e.g. March 2020 compared to March 2019); or

with revenue of $1 billion or more and experiencing a 50% decrease in revenue relative to a comparable period a year ago (e.g. March 2020 compared to March 2019); and

not subject to the Major Bank Levy.

Self-employed individuals will also be eligible to receive the JobKeeper Payment where they have suffered or expect to suffer a 30%decline in turnover relative to a comparable prior period a year ago (of at least a month).

Employees:

must be Australian Citizens or hold an eligible work visa; and

on the employers books on 1 March 2020 and continues to be engaged by the employer – including full-time, part-time, long term casuals (at least 12 months) and stood down employees.

Eligible employers who stood down employees before the commencement of this scheme will also be able to participate. Employees that are re-engaged by a business that was their employer on 1 March 2020 will also be eligible.

When will it be received?

The subsidy starts 30 March 2020, with the first payment in the first week of May 2020. Payments will be backdated to 1 March 2020.

Payment Process:

Payments will be made to the employer monthly in arrears by the ATO.

If an employee normally receives $1,500 or more in income per fortnight before tax, they will continue to receive their regular income. The JobKeeper Payment will assist their employer to continue operating by subsidising all or part of the income of their employee(s).

If an employee normally receives less than $1,500 in income per fortnight before tax, their employer must pay their employee, at a minimum, $1,500 per fortnight, before tax.

If an employee has been stood down, their employer must pay their employee, at a minimum, $1,500 per fortnight, before tax.

If an employee was employed on 1 March 2020, subsequently ceased employment with their employer, and then has been re-engaged by the same eligible employer, the employee will receive, at a minimum, $1,500 per fortnight, before tax.

Government fact sheet:

 JobKeeper Payment

  Asset Write-off Threshold Increase

What is it?

The instant asset write-off threshold will be increased from $30,000 to $150,000. The higher threshold is in place from 12 March until 30 June 2020 and applies to new or second-hand assets installed in businesses during these dates.

It will provide cash flow benefits for businesses that will be able to immediately deduct purchases of eligible assets. The threshold applies on a per asset basis, so eligible businesses can immediately write-off multiple assets.

When will it be received?

From 12 March until 30 June 2020, for new or second-hand assets first used or installed ready for use in this timeframe. The instant asset write-off is generally claimed back via your business tax return.

Who is eligible?

Businesses with aggregated annual turnover of less than $500 million (up from $50 million).

ATO fact sheet:

 Increasing the instant asset write-off

Accelerated Depreciation for Investments

What is it?

Businesses will be able to deduct an additional 50% of an asset cost in the year of purchase from 12 March 2020 until 30 June 2021. This is designed to support business investment and economic growth over the short term.

When will it be received?

From 12 March 2020 until 20 June 2021.

Who is eligible?

The depreciating asset must:

Be new and not previously held by another entity (other than as trading stock)

Not be an asset to which an entity has applied depreciation deductions or the instant asset write-off rules

Be first held on or after 12 March 2020

First used or first installed ready for use for a taxable purpose on or after 12 March 2020 until 30 June 2021

ATO fact sheet:

 Accelerated depreciation

Extended Eligibility for Job Seeker Payments (for sole traders)

What is it?

Eligible sole traders will be granted access to the job seeker allowance, which now includes an additional coronavirus supplement of $550 per fortnight for the next six months.

The standard waiting periods and asset tests will be waived to allow quicker access to these payments. Individuals will still be able to keep operating their businesses and earn up to $1,075 per fortnight before their payments are affected.

Amount:

$550 per fortnight.

Who is eligible?

Sole traders that meet the job seeker allowance income test.

When will it be received?

After your application has been approved via the Services Australia website.

ATO fact sheet:

 Increased and accelerated income support

Early access to superannuation (for sole traders)

What is it?

The Government is allowing sole traders who have seen their hours of work or income fall by 20% or more as a result of the pandemic to access their superannuation. This is capped at $10,000 this financial year and a further $10,000 next financial year. The withdrawals will be tax free.

Amount:

$10,000 this financial year and $10,000 next financial year.

Who is eligible?

Sole traders whose income has dropped by 20% or more.

When will it be received?

On successful application via the myGov website when applications open in April 2020.

Government fact sheet:

 Early access to superannuation

Wage Subsidy for Apprentices and Trainees

What is it?

Eligible employers can apply for a wage subsidy of 50% of an apprentice’s or trainee’s wage for up to 9 months from 1 January 2020 to 30 September 2020.

Amount:

Businesses can be reimbursed up to a maximum of $21,000 per eligible apprentice, (which is $7,000 per quarter for the first three quarters of 2020).

Who is eligible?

Small businesses with less than 20 full time employees who retain an apprentice or trainee. The apprentice must have been in training with the small business on or before 1 March 2020.

When will it be received?

From early April 2020. For information on how to apply, contact an Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) provider. Claims for this subsidy must be lodged by 31 December 2020.

Government fact sheet:

 Supporting apprentices and trainees

Tax Payments Relief

What is it?

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) will consider relief for certain tax obligations to eligible businesses, including deferring tax payments up to four months.

How does it work?

If disruption to your business operations causes you to fall behind with your tax and/or super obligations, read the ATO’s information on COVID-19 and call them on 1800 806 218 to discuss a support plan for your business.

Who is eligible?

Anyone impacted by COVID-19.

Government fact sheet:

 Support measures to assist those affected by COVID-19

Loan Payments Relief

What is it?

The Australian Banking Association has announced that Australian banks will defer loan repayments for small businesses affected by coronavirus for six months.

How does it work?

Any small business that has a bank loan should contact their bank directly to apply. A list of hardship contact details for Australian banks can be found on the ABA website.

Who is eligible?

Small businesses affected by coronavirus.

ABA fact sheet:

 Banks announce Small Business Relief Package

WA Coronavirus Relief Package

What is it?

The Western Australian Government has announced $114 million in measures to support small business during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

$17,500 grants for small businesses with a payroll between $1 million and $4 million.

The $1 million payroll tax threshold (announced in October 2019) will be brought forward by six months to 1 July 2020.

Businesses impacted by COVID-19 can apply now to defer payment of their 2019-20 payroll tax until 21 July 2020.

Government fact sheet:

 WA coronavirus relief package

Assistance for Severely Affected Regions and Sectors

What is it?

Financial assistance to support regions, communities and industries that have been disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of the Coronavirus outbreak, including those heavily reliant on industries such as tourism, agriculture and education.

How does it work?

$1 billion will be spent through existing or newly established Government programs or initiatives. In addition, the Government is assisting the airline industry through a package of up to $715 million.

Amount:

$1.7 billion.

Who is eligible?

The Deputy Prime Minister will work with affected industries and communities to develop recovery plans and measures.

When?

As soon as possible.

ABA fact sheet:

 Assistance for severely affected regions and sectors

Supporting the flow of credit

Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme

What is it?

The Government will provide support of up to $40 billion of unsecured lending to SMEs, with an initial six month repayment holiday.

Under the scheme, the Government will provide participating lenders (including non-bank lenders) a loan guarantee of 50% for new eligible loans to be used for working capital.

The loans will be unsecured, meaning you will not have to provide any assets as security.

Lenders will be encouraged to provide facilities with draw downs such as a Line or Credit or Overdraft. The borrower would only need to pay interest on any funds drawn down from the facility.

How does it work?

Eligible banks and non-bank lenders will receive the loan guarantee for loans that meet the terms below. SMEs, including sole traders can apply with a participating lender.

Amount:

Up to $250,000.

Who is eligible?

Eligible lenders will receive the loan guarantee for loans with the following terms:

Businesses with an annual turnover of less than $50 million

Maximum loan size of $250,000

Maximum loan term of 3 years (with a 6 month repayment holiday)

For working capital purposes

When?

Early April 2020 until 30 September 2020.

Government fact sheet:

 Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme

Queensland COVID-19 Jobs Support Loans

What is it?

Low interest, 10 year loan of up to $250,000 to assist with working capital expenses such as wages, rent, rates and other related expenses. Interest will be fixed at a rate of 2.5%.

How does it work?

The scheme is for Queensland businesses (including non-for-profits) financially impacted by COVID-19, to retain employees and maintain operations. Loans will be provided for a term of 10 years, with no repayments or interest charged in the first year, followed by two years of interest only payments. Principal and interest repayments will commence from the third year for the remainder of the term.

Amount:

Up to $250,000.

Who is eligible?

Queensland businesses financially impacted by COVID-19 can apply if they have the following information:

Business Financial Statements for 2017-18 and 2018-19

Personal Taxation Returns for 2017-18 and 2018-19

Bank Account Information

Australian Tax Office (ATO) Integrated Client Account Statement

Aged list of debtors and creditors at time of application

Applicant Identification

Organisation Constitution or Rules of Association and Certificate of Incorporation (if applying as a non-profit organisation)

Trust Deed (if applying as a trust)

When?

Open until 25 September 2020 or until funding is fully committed.

Government fact sheet:

 Queensland COVID-19 Jobs Support Loans

Exemption from Responsible Lending Obligations

What is it?

To allow lenders the ability to move quickly to support small businesses, the Government is providing an exemption from responsible lending obligations for a period of six months in relation to the credit they extend to their existing small business customers, provided there is an existing borrowing relationship and some proportion of that credit is used for business purposes.

Government fact sheet:

 Helping small businesses get access to credit

Reducing the Cost of Credit for ADI Lenders

What is it?

A term funding facility from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to Authorised Deposit-Taking Institutions (ADI).

Banks will have access to $90 billion in funding at a fixed interest rate of 0.25%. This will reinforce the benefits of a low cash rate by reducing funding costs for banks, which in turn will help reduce interest rates for borrowers.

To encourage lending to businesses, the facility offers additional low-cost funding to banks if they expand their business lending, with particular incentives applying to new loans to SMEs.

Amount:

$90 billion.

Government fact sheet:

 Supporting the flow of credit and reducing the cost of credit

Support for NON-ADI and Smaller ADI Lenders in the Securitisation Market

What is it?

The Government is providing $15 billion to the Australian Office of Financial Management (AOFM) to invest in structured finance markets used by smaller lenders, including non-ADI and smaller ADIs.

This program will assist smaller lenders, who will not benefit from the RBA’s term funding facility, to maintain access to funding and support competition in the lending market. This in turn will help keep down borrowing costs for businesses.

Amount:

$15 billion.

Government fact sheet:

 Support for NON-ADI and Smaller ADI Lenders in the Securitisation Market

The post COVID-19 Information and Support for Small Businesses appeared first on Credito.

COVID-19 Information and Support for Small Businesses syndicated from https://credito.com.au/

[lucabielski]

PR MARKET ANALYSIS WEEK 1: Corona Blow for Shanghai Footy

-  Article Taken/Reformed by Mitch Cleary For personal use

- March 4th 2020

- Luca Bielski (Holmesglen Student)

AFL have announced that the upcoming fixture between ST Kilda & Port Adelaide will no longer be happening in Shanghai.

While this is a big blow for the development of the game and the potential growth of attraction it’ll bring to aussie rules football, it was the correct decision to be made on such short notice.

Due to Coronavirus pandemic and spread throughout the world, the fixture has been moved to another venue and date.

With Marvel Stadium unavailable on Saturday and Sunday of Round 1, the only call for the fixture to happen is a week later, switching their byes from Round 12 to Round 11

The match will now be allocated to the twilight spot on June the 7th along with Richmond v North Melbourne earlier in the day.

Victorian Government has not forgot about the chinese influence within this game & round, and decided to focus on celebrating chinese culture even with the absence of the Shanghai Venue.

All tickets bought for the match in Shanghai will be immediately refunding to all supporters and patrons.

Both Clubs will now feel the impact of lost potential business opportunities within the chinese market. 

Chief Executive Officer Gillon McLachlan has stated that: “Our team have monitored the situation in China closely. We have taken advice from the Australian Government, the World Health Organisation and our Chief Medical Officer” 

"It is evident that the coronavirus still poses a significant risk internationally and quite simply we will not compromise the health and safety of any of our clubs, supporters and AFL team members.

"I would like to thank both the Australian and Chinese governments, along with the St Kilda and Port Adelaide football clubs for their cooperation and shared view of ensuring the health and safety of all was paramount." 

Coronavirus is a continuing story, this is a massive hit to business affiliations with the chinese markets that are invested in the Aussie Game. 

Type of PR Activity: Article promoting a campaign/statement to the AFL fanbase 

Who is leading the Campaign: AFL / AFL Board of Executives

PR Tools being used: Statement / Clarification to AFL fans / Press conference 

How I saw the video/How I engaged: I saw this through the official AFL website where they shared this information and statement through their NEWS section. I looked at the article to gather all research and information for this post. 

Critical Reflection: This statement was a quickly made message to the public, to announce the news that the AFL and the Chinese government wouldn’t go through with this AFL fixture due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I personally think this message to the public was executed correctly to let the AFL fanbase know of the fixture and its update amongst the crisis. 

 https://www.afl.com.au/news/381249/afl-calls-off-china-game-new-venue-and-round-reveale

[newstfionline]

Headlines

With Washington Deadlocked on Aid, States Face Dire Fiscal Crises (NYT) Alaska chopped resources for public broadcasting. New York City gutted a nascent composting program that could have kept tons of food waste out of landfills. New Jersey postponed property-tax relief payments. Prisoners in Florida will continue to swelter in their cells, because plans to air-condition its prisons are on hold. Many states have already cut planned raises for teachers. And that’s just the start. Across the nation, states and cities have made an array of fiscal maneuvers to stay solvent and are planning more in case Congress can’t agree on a fiscal relief package after the August recess. House Democrats included nearly $1 trillion in state and local aid in the relief bill they passed in May, but the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, has said he doesn’t want to hand out a “blank check” to pay for what he considers fiscal mismanagement, including the enormous public-pension obligations some states have accrued. There has been little movement in that stalemate lately.

As California burns, the winds arrive and the lights go out (AP) New wildfires ravaged bone-dry California during a scorching Labor Day weekend that saw a dramatic airlift of more than 200 people trapped by flames and ended with the state’s largest utility turning off power to 172,000 customers to try to prevent its power lines and other equipment from sparking more fires. California is heading into what traditionally is the teeth of the wildfire season, and already it has set a record with 2 million acres burned this year. The previous record was set just two years ago and included the deadliest wildfire in state history—the Camp Fire that swept through the community of Paradise and killed 85 people. That fire was started by Pacific Gas & Electric power lines. Liability from billions of dollars in claims from that and other fires forced the utility to seek bankruptcy protection. To guard against new wildfires and new liability, PG&E last year began preemptive power shutoffs when conditions are exceptionally dangerous. That’s the situation now in Northern California, where high and dry winds are expected until Wednesday.

Unhealthy eating and the poor (Bloomberg) It’s no secret that the cheapest food in the western world is often the stuff that’s worst for you: fast meals and ultra-processed food, usually loaded with salt, fat and sugar. For the poorest, it’s typically what they can afford, and that’s only grown more acute during the coronavirus pandemic. Unhealthy diets are poised to worsen the obesity problem all over the world, contributing to a “global pandemic in its own right,” the UN’s Food & Agriculture Organization said in July. Healthy and nutritious food has already been out of reach for more than 3 billion people. With economies sinking and unemployment at historic highs, millions more will find themselves trying to balance their budgets with the need for vital portions of fresh fruit, vegetables and proteins.

Facial recognition failure (OneZero) A new report from the Government Accountability Office of the federal government found that the Customs and Border Patrol was doing a bad job of alerting the public when facial recognition was being used on them, hiding the clear, legible signs disclosing this and describing how to opt out behind larger signs. It’s also not entirely clear that the enormous investment put into this tech is genuinely useful, as the report also found that of the 16 million passengers arriving in the U.S. through May 2020 that the CBP scanned in airports, they resulted in stopping 7 imposters.

At Least 37 Million People Have Been Displaced by America’s War on Terror (NYT) At least 37 million people have been displaced as a direct result of the wars fought by the United States since Sept. 11, 2001, according to a new report from Brown University’s Costs of War project. That figure exceeds those displaced by conflict since 1900, the authors say, with the exception of World War II. The findings were published on Tuesday, weeks before the United States enters its 20th year of fighting the war on terror, which began with the invasion of Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001; yet, the report says it is the first time the number of people displaced by U.S. military involvement during this period has been calculated. The findings come at a time when the United States and other Western countries have become increasingly opposed to welcoming refugees, as anti-migrant fears bolster favor for closed-border policies. The report accounts for the number of people, mostly civilians, displaced in and from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, the Philippines, Libya and Syria, where fighting has been the most significant, and says the figure is a conservative estimate—the real number may range from 48 million to 59 million. The calculation does not include the millions of other people who have been displaced in countries with smaller U.S. counterterrorism operations, according to the report, including those in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Niger.

Will the U.K. Crash Out of the EU? (Foreign Policy) U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set a deadline of Oct. 15 for the United Kingdom’s talks with the European Union as the latest round of negotiations gets underway today to determine the post-Brexit EU-U.K. economic relationship, again raising concerns that the United Kingdom could crash out of the bloc without a deal in place. The announcement comes as the British government is working to push legislation through Parliament that would override key parts of last year’s Brexit withdrawal agreement. The Financial Times reported on Sunday that the so-called internal market bill is expected to remove the legal force of the highly contentious Northern Ireland protocol, which observers have long argued is vital to preserving peace and stability in Ireland after Brexit. Economists have consistently warned that the economic impact of a no-deal Brexit could be severe. On Monday, business leaders in Britain doubled-down on those warnings, telling Johnson that securing a Brexit deal was essential for the United Kingdom’s economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic.

‘We are in the second wave’: Europe on edge as cases spike (NBC News) Cases of the coronavirus are spiking in France, Spain and the United Kingdom even as social distancing restrictions ease, stoking concerns among doctors and policymakers about a “second wave” in countries still reeling from the pandemic’s first wave. France set a new record Friday after health authorities reported 8,975 new cases, far higher than the previous record of 7,578 the country set March 31 at the height of the pandemic. In the U.K., new infections soared to nearly 3,000 in one day—the country’s biggest jump since May. And Spain saw nearly 9,000 cases Thursday. Unlike the pandemic’s punishing first round in the spring, France’s troubling rise in new cases has yet to cause a significant surge in deaths and hospitalizations, a salutary statistic for policymakers who remain determined to press ahead with reopenings of schools and businesses.

Belarus activist resists authorities’ push to leave country (AP) A leading opposition activist in Belarus was held on the border Tuesday after she resisted authorities’ attempt to force her to leave the country. Maria Kolesnikova, a member of the Coordination Council created by the opposition to facilitate talks with longtime leader President Alexander Lukashenko on a transition of power, was detained Monday in the capital, Minsk, along with two other council members. Early Tuesday, they were driven to the Ukrainian border, where the authorities told them to cross into Ukraine. Kolesnikova refused, and remained on the Belarusian side of the border in the custody of the Belarusian authorities. The authorities have applied similar tactics to other opposition figures, seeking to end a month of demonstrations against the re-election of Lukashenko in a vote the protesters see as rigged. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition challenger to Lukashenko, left for Lithuania a day after the Aug. 9 vote, under pressure from the authorities.

Myanmar army deserters confirm atrocities against Rohingya (AP) Two soldiers who deserted from Myanmar’s army have testified on video that they were instructed by commanding officers to “shoot all that you see and that you hear” in villages where minority Rohingya Muslims lived, a human rights group said Tuesday. The comments appear to be the first public confession by soldiers of involvement in army-directed massacres, rape and other crimes against Rohingya in the Buddhist-majority country, and the group Fortify Rights suggested they could provide important evidence for an ongoing investigation by the International Criminal Court. More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh since August 2017 to escape what Myanmar’s military called a clearance campaign following an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group in Rakhine state. Myanmar’s government has denied accusations that security forces committed mass rapes and killings and burned thousands of homes.

Australia evacuates journalists from China amid ‘national security’ probe (Reuters) Two Australian foreign correspondents were rushed out of China for their safety with the help of Australian consular officials after being questioned by China’s Ministry of State Security, their employers said on Tuesday. China correspondents for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Australian Financial Review (AFR) sought shelter in Australia’s embassy in Beijing and consulate in Shanghai as diplomats negotiated with Chinese officials to allow them to leave the country, the ABC and the AFR reported. The two journalists—the ABC’s Bill Birtles and the AFR’s Michael Smith—had been banned from leaving China until they answered questions about detained Australian citizen and television anchor Cheng Lei, the media companies reported. Both journalists were told they were “persons of interest” in an investigation into Cheng, a high-profile business anchor on Chinese state television, who was detained by authorities in August, the AFR report said. The president of Australia’s Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Marcus Strom, said the treatment of the Australian journalists by Chinese authorities was “appalling”.

Kiwi expats (BBC) Approximately 50,000 New Zealanders have returned from abroad since the beginning of the year. Behind Ireland alone, New Zealand has the second-highest proportion of its citizens living abroad, with between 600,000 and a million New Zealanders living abroad compared to a population of 5 million people in the country itself. Many are in Australia, where they can work without a visa, but others go to other countries further off for work or school. A University of Auckland sociologist estimated 100,000 could return depending on how long the pandemic lasts

Syria wants more Russian help (Foreign Policy) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he wants to expand his country’s economic and business ties to Russia as a way of bypassing crippling U.S. sanctions during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday. Lavrov hinted that Russia was prepared to come to Assad’s aid, noting during a subsequent press conference that Syria needed international assistance to help rebuild its economy now that Assad is in control of most of the territory he lost during the country’s brutal civil war. The meeting was Lavrov’s first visit to the country since 2012, demonstrating Moscow’s continued interest in Syria after providing Assad with critical military support throughout the civil war.

Jordan resumes regular commercial flights after six-month halt during pandemic (Reuters) Jordan resumed regular international flights on Tuesday after being suspended for nearly six months because of the novel coronavirus epidemic, officials said. They said Queen Alia international airport would initially handle six flights a day before expanding to ensure that airport authorities can enforce strict social distancing and other health rules.

Virus puts new strain on Gaza’s overwhelmed health system (AP) Dr. Ahmed el-Rabii spent years treating Palestinians wounded by Israeli fire during wars and clashes in the Gaza Strip. Now that the coronavirus has reached the blockaded territory, the 37-year-old physician finds himself in the unfamiliar role of patient. El-Rabii is the first Gaza doctor diagnosed with COVID-19 and is among dozens of health-care workers infected during the local outbreak, which was detected late last month. The spread among front-line workers has further strained an already overburdened health-care system. Since 2007, Gaza has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade meant to isolate Hamas, the Islamic militant group that seized control of the territory that year from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. Few people can move in and out of the territory, and Hamas placed anyone returning to Gaza into mandatory quarantine centers for three weeks. Before last month, the handful of Gaza’s coronavirus cases were confined to the isolation facilities. But on Aug. 24, the first cases were detected among the general population, and the numbers have multiplied since.

When will tourists return to Africa? (AP) Africa will lose between $53 billion and $120 billion in contributions to its GDP in 2020 because of the crash in tourism, the World Travel and Tourism Council estimates. Kenya expects at least a 60% drop in tourism revenue this year. South Africa a 75% drop. In South Africa, 1.2 million tourism-related jobs are already impacted, according to its Tourism Business Council. That’s not far off 10% of total jobs in Africa’s most developed economy and the total damage isn’t yet clear. “Devastation,” council CEO Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa said. South Africa’s borders, including virtually all international flights, have been closed for nearly six months and there are no signs of them reopening.

[lppscatherinewilson-blog]

Clean Water and Clear Ethics

January 23,2020

The first two weeks of class have been especially interesting to me. To begin, I was sick with the flu for the entire first week. Coming into class the second week, I missed the “what is open source” conversation. I was pretty ignorant to open source and felt like I was already lagging behind. I spent the first class relatively confused on open source and on the lecture. While I did the readings and found them interesting, I had never heard of open source before. However, after watching the video supplied on the syllabus I was excited to begin the coursework. The video described the benefits to open source as “access to the source, free remix and redistribution, end to predatory vendor lock-in and higher degree of cooperation.” I appreciated the video’s explanation of open source as pushing an entire industry forward for the greater good. After the skateboarding example, I began thinking of examples I have seen of successful open source. Study groups I have been involved in seemed to have a similar benefit. In study groups, there is a general sharing of ideas, concepts and information retained during the course. When I attend study groups, I share my notes with the group as well as help them understand concepts that made sense for me. I also look at others notes and have them help me understand what is confusing to me (access to the source). While helping each other means a higher test average and therefore a smaller grading curve, we as a group benefit by becoming smarter than before. My study groups will later use that information not only to do well on the exam, but in the course and potentially their future careers (free remix and redistribution). We also do not have to pay for tutoring (end to vendor lock-in) and create a kinder, less competitive environment (cooperation).

This Thursday in class we spent a lot of time discussing open source and the environment. Thursday we read about PFAS chemicals that have been found in 43 cities in the United States. The chemical is apparently already in the bloodstream of every American citizen. What makes PFAS so worrisome is it’s reputation as a “forever chemical.” PFAS does not break down, and therefore stays in the body forever, contaminating the bloodstream and organs. From the two articles we read, the class thought about what companies could do to fix this situation. We began by contemplating what a company like 3M should do when they have a product in the market that is later found to contain PFAS. Ethically speaking, the company would have an obligation to take the product off the market as quickly as possible, and reach out to their customers for support. While this could cause lawsuits for 3M, it is important for them to make strides in creating a solution. The company should also donate funds to PFAS research so people affected by their product can one say see a cure. After a long debate of company ethics and open source, we ended by looking at the Fairphone, a fair-trade cell phone. The phone has nice features, but is made of fair-trade gold, recycled plastic and uses ethical labor practices. I found it very helpful to see an example of open source technology being used effectively. The company shares their technology in creating this fair-trade phone so that other companies can do the same. This is when open source really clicked for me. While Fairphone obviously wants to make a profit, their mission is to create a cleaner, more ethical product that helps the environment and the world in general. By sharing their technology for free, other companies can follow in their footsteps and create a larger impact. By sharing their technology, Fairphone’s mission is only more effective, and is therefore worth the risk of another company “beating them” in sales for a similar product.

After my first week participating in class, I am eager to learn more about open source. While I am passionate about ethics, in this course I am more interested in learning about the balance of companies sharing their tech for a better planet, versus keeping some data protected in order to save their business and not create too many competitors. My coursework in Economics and Business courses would negate open source as a business strategy. They would say to not create more competitors for your business and to patent and license all of your software and technology. This same strategy is why open source is becoming so interesting to me. With current trends in climate change (especially with current issues of the Coronavirus and Australian Wildfires), open source feels more and more necessary. In order to create great, lasting changes in our world, ideas and technology must be published for free consumption, and therefore creating faster and more effective products and solutions. I hope our class will have the opportunity to discuss the ethics and importance of open source vs. free enterprise.

Environmental Working Group. “PFAS Contamination of Drinking Water Far More Prevalent Than Previously Reported.” EWG, www.ewg.org/research/national-pfas-testing/.

Environmental Working Group. “What Are PFAS Chemicals, and Where Are They Found?” EWG, www.ewg.org/pfaschemicals/what-are-forever-chemicals.html.

Socialsquare. “What Is Open Source Explained in LEGO.” YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8fHgx9mE5U.

“Source Code under GPL on Fairphone 3.” Source Code under GPL on Fairphone 3 - FAIRPHONE Open Source Documentation, code.fairphone.com/projects/fairphone-3-gpl.html.

“Our Impact.” Fairphone, www.fairphone.com/en/impact/?ref=header.