Automation

Move Over Farmers, The Fully Autonomous, Self-Driving Tractor Has Officially Arrived

It's not often you hear the words "John Deere" and "controversy" together, but that's exactly what is coming to pass as the agricultural staple looks to debut its first fully autonomous tractor.

Equipped with six pairs of stereo cameras and AI, John Deere’s new 8R tractor can both perceive its environment and navigate, according to a new writeup by Wired. It relies on neural network algorithms analyzing data streaming into its cameras.

In fact, it can even "find its way to a field on its own when given a route and coordinates, then plow the soil or sow seeds without instructions, avoiding obstacles as it goes," the report says.

This is a far cry from the autonomous tractors available today, many of which can only operate in limited situations.

Jahmy Hindman, Deere’s chief technology officer, said at CES 2022: “It's a monumental shift. I think it's every bit as big as the transition from horse to tractor.”

The benefits of such tractors are obvious: they could help lower labor costs for farmers significantly. The negative consequences around such tractors includes the very same labor that would be threatened from the innovation.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/move-over-farmers-fully-autonomous-self-driving-tractor-has-officially-arrived

'It's because of you Chinese people!': Grocery store Karen accuses Asian couple of being responsible for spreading COVID in racist rant in Montreal store

A woman was forcibly removed from a Montreal grocery store after she going on a racist rant where she blamed an Asian couple for the spread of COVID

The unidentified French-Canadian 'grocery store Karen' was filmed by Ken Mak in a video uploaded to Facebook on Monday

'All of these 21 months of bulls… All of these f*** epidemic that became a pandemic, it's because of you Chinese people!' the woman yells

A store employee eventually intervened and removed the woman, with the Montreal police being called to help get her out of the store

More than half of Asian-Canadians say they have suffered some form of discrimination over the past year since the onset of the pandemic

Canadian politicians have lashed out at the woman's behavior, including the Mayor of Montreal and the Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10378981/Grocery-store-Karen-accuses-Asian-couple-responsible-spread-COVID-19-racist-rant.html

hmmmm

Don’t be fooled: GMO foods will now be labeled “bioengineered” under new rule taking effect

Genetically modified foods — once known as “genetically modified organisms,” or GMOs — are now going to be called something else, so you need to be on the lookout for the new term as global government types try to hide them.

GMO foods will now be labeled “bioengineered” under — ironically — “new food disclosure rules” in the U.S. that took effect on New Year’s Day, because renaming something that has long been associated with negative outcomes is only called “disclosure” by a globalist deep state.

As reported by The Epoch Times, food manufacturers were given until Jan. 1 to comply with the new rules, which were actually formulated and issued under the Trump administration. But his hand was forced by a law passed by Congress during Barack Obama’s last year in office creating “a national standard for disclosing foods that are or may be bioengineered.”

The national standard “avoids a patchwork state-by-state system that could be confusing to consumers,” said then-Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, who served under Trump.

Again, a ‘national standard’ now means individual states or localities who want to continue using the more familiar ‘GMO’ label will now be prohibited from doing so. And while “bioengineered” seems to be an accurate term, it will no doubt be ‘lost in the shuffle’ as Americans who were accustomed to seeing the other term could wind up being confused by the new one.

Fortunately, there are groups out there who have not only objected to the change but have also filed court action to stop it, including the Center for Food Safety, which says the labeling requirements will only confound consumers.

“These regulations are not about informing the public but rather designed to allow corporations to hide their use of genetically engineered ingredients from their customers,” Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the center, said in a statement. “It is a regulatory scam, which we are seeking to rescind in federal court.”

In addition, the Organic Trade Association, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, and The Non-GMO Project have all lodged their opposition to the new rule as well.

“Overall, many products containing GMOs will not be labeled, meaning that the absence of a bioengineered (BE) disclosure does not mean a product is non-GMO,” the project said in a statement after the new rules were implemented.

https://patriotrising.com/dont-be-fooled-gmo-foods-will-now-be-labeled-bioengineered-under-new-rule-taking-effect/

PROOF: Video shows Antifa thugs handing out weapons to comrades inside the Capitol Building

You wanted some proof that the Antifa thugs were at the Capitol during the riots? Here you go.

A new video shows an alleged presence of the Antifa during the storming of the Capitol Building on Wednesday.

The slowed-down footage shows Antifa terrorists handing out the tools and weapons, mostly the baseball bats, from inside of the Capitol to the rioters in the street, who apparently are also Antifa or BLM.

On Friday, investigative journalist Millie Weaver ran into Antifa activist John Sullivan in Washington D.C. 25-year-old Sullivan was arrested for participating in the riots and was booked into the Utah County Jail while the law enforcement investigates the riots. But then he turned out to be released.

PROOF: Video shows Antifa thugs handing out weapons to comrades inside the Capitol Building

8:24 am January 10, 2021

3472

You wanted some proof that the Antifa thugs were at the Capitol during the riots? Here you go.

A new video shows an alleged presence of the Antifa during the storming of the Capitol Building on Wednesday.

The slowed-down footage shows Antifa terrorists handing out the tools and weapons, mostly the baseball bats, from inside of the Capitol to the rioters in the street, who apparently are also Antifa or BLM.

On Friday, investigative journalist Millie Weaver ran into Antifa activist John Sullivan in Washington D.C. 25-year-old Sullivan was arrested for participating in the riots and was booked into the Utah County Jail while the law enforcement investigates the riots. But then he turned out to be released.

What is more surprising, no charges have been made against him. It was previously confirmed by law enforcement that Antifa bastards posed as patriots were there at the moment of the storm.

PROOF: Video shows Antifa thugs handing out weapons to comrades inside the Capitol Building

8:24 am January 10, 2021

3472

You wanted some proof that the Antifa thugs were at the Capitol during the riots? Here you go.

A new video shows an alleged presence of the Antifa during the storming of the Capitol Building on Wednesday.

The slowed-down footage shows Antifa terrorists handing out the tools and weapons, mostly the baseball bats, from inside of the Capitol to the rioters in the street, who apparently are also Antifa or BLM.

On Friday, investigative journalist Millie Weaver ran into Antifa activist John Sullivan in Washington D.C. 25-year-old Sullivan was arrested for participating in the riots and was booked into the Utah County Jail while the law enforcement investigates the riots. But then he turned out to be released.

What is more surprising, no charges have been made against him. It was previously confirmed by law enforcement that Antifa bastards posed as patriots were there at the moment of the storm.

How can be a Trump supporter the person whose Instagram account is still full of posts like “F**k Trump”? Watch the video of Sullivan calling for the left-wing revolution.

https://usareally.com/8850-proof-video-shows-antifa-thugs-handing-out-weapons-to-comrades-inside-the-capitol-building

Global food prices soared 28% in 2021, the most in 14 yrs

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/global-food-prices-soared-28-in-2021-the-most-in-14-yrs/

There's one rule for the woke, another for the rest of us. Colston statue vandals' acquittal shows the world really HAS gone stark, staring mad

The acquittal of four statue-topplers in Bristol this week is further evidence of a world gone stark, staring mad.

Even though they were caught on camera committing criminal damage and made no attempt to deny it, they were found not guilty by a majority of 11 to one.

So much for the wisdom of juries.

The self-styled Black Lives Matter activists argued that tearing down a statue of 17th-century slaver Edward Colston and chucking it into the river was a legitimate political protest.

One of the four said that because Colston had been involved in the slave trade 300 years ago, demolishing it was 'an act of love for my fellow man'. Defence counsel urged the jury to be 'on the right side of history'.

Effectively, Colston himself was put on trial. Despite being told by the judge to ignore this sentimental smokescreen and concentrate on the evidence in front of them, the jurors obviously fell for it.

Then again, if the judge had wanted the case decided on the hard facts, why did he allow the defence to call a Left-wing academic to deliver a lurid potted history of the cruelty inflicted by slavery?

This was a verdict based not on the law, but on emotion. It gives licence to woke warriors everywhere to commit violent crime with impunity, provided they can claim they were doing it in the name of fighting racism, saving the planet, or whatever other right-on cause they happen to be embracing that week.

This case arose out of the Black Lives Matter protests which sprang up in Britain after the murder of George Floyd by a policeman in Minnesota in May 2020. Quite what the brutal killing of a black man in America had got to do with Bristol, or anywhere else on this side of the Atlantic, remains a mystery.

http://www.scoopyweb.com/2022/01/theres-one-rule-for-woke-another-for.html

http://www.scoopyweb.com/2022/01/theres-one-rule-for-woke-another-for.html

Rapper Jim Jones says mom taught him to French kiss ‘with her mouth’

https://pagesix.com/2022/01/07/rapper-jim-jones-says-mom-taught-him-to-french-kiss/

Dr Michael Yeadon - Depopulation Plan

https://rumble.com/vs4gih-dr-michael-yeadon-depopulation-plan.html

US Pilot Says His Colleagues Are “Dropping Like Flies With Crushing Chest Pain” Post-Covid-19 Vaccination

US pilot Greg Pearson has spoken out about a wave of post-Covid-19 vaccine illness that he said is spreading rapidly throughout the airline industry.

Pearson revealed in an interview with “Real America’s Voice” that a large majority of his pilot colleagues are “dropping like flies” with what he described as severe chest pains.”

When talking about his own experience, Pearson shared that after he had his Covid-19 vaccine he had to be rushed to hospital because he developed serious heart problems.

He said: “I went to the ER where they quickly hooked me up to EKG IVs, did blood work quickly and determined that I was in atrial fibrillation. It’s the major cause of stroke.

“I could have stroked out at 100 feet while trying to land an aeroplane. I could have just pushed down on that stick before the person next to me could do anything. Whereas it’s all over for a lot of people.”

Pearson said that many other pilots like himself are experiencing and observing the same, but are fearful to speak out about it. Those who don’t want to speak out are scared of getting fired or potentially even having their entire careers ruined in retaliation for telling the truth.

Pearson said: “There’s a number of pilots out there who are fearful to come forward and speak … They are fearful of retribution. There are guys that are going to work with crushing pains in their chests and their heads. They’re scared that they’re going to lose their careers.”

Many of these pilots suffering from these problems could have avoided poor health entirely if president Biden hadn’t forced mandates on airline staff.

Now many of them are getting sick, they are unsure what to do or if they can even pursue any recourse or remedy.

https://dailyexpose.uk/2022/01/07/us-pilot-says-his-colleagues-are-dropping-like-flies-with-crushing-chest-pain-post-covid-19-vaccination/

Pfizer’s Link to the Wuhan Lab.

The Big Pharma giant and the Wuhan Institute of Virology meet.

Professor Guo Peixuan – a recipient of Pfizer’s Distinguished Faculty Award – lectured at the Wuhan Institute of Virology: the Chinese Communist Party-run lab believed by many to be the epicenter of COVID-19.

Guo, an Ohio State University Professor, visited the lab on October 24th, 2016 to deliver a lecture entitled the “Discovery of a Third Type of Biomotor.”

The unearthed lecture follows the American pharmaceutical giant drastically increasing its lobbying efforts amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, appearing to be responsible for nationwide COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

The National Pulse can reveal a link between Pfizer and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, adding to the company’s existing conflicts of interest with mainstream media and big technology platforms. The Chinese lab’s manipulation of “killer” coronaviruses capable of “direct human infection” has led many intelligence and public health officials to believe it spawned COVID-19 with funds from Anthony Fauci’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“At the report meeting, Professor Guo Peixuan mainly introduced his research work on two aspects of the phi29 DNA assembly motor and the RNA nanotechnology derived from it,” summarized the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s website in reference to Guo’s 2016 visit.

The event synopsis explains how Guo’s lecture to Wuhan researchers focused primarily on RNA technology:

“Professor Guo introduced a series of application work around the phi29 molecular motor, such as the establishment of high-efficiency drug screening ideas, single-molecule sensing technology and a new generation of DNA sequencing technology. In addition, Professor Guo also focused on a series of pioneering work in RNA nanotechnology.”

“Professor Guo’s wonderful report triggered a heated discussion among teachers and students present, and the scene was lively. Finally, Director Chen Xinwen presented the “Ge Hong Forum” commemorative medal to Professor Guo on behalf of the Institute of Virology,” noted the lab.

https://thenationalpulse.com/2022/01/07/pfizer-professor-lectured-at-wuhan-lab/

https://thenationalpulse.com/2022/01/07/pfizer-professor-lectured-at-wuhan-lab/

China takeover of Australia is going along quickly

Farmers hope to cash in on $130b global market for traditional Chinese medicine with long-term study

Traditional Chinese medicine has been practised for thousands of years and, as the sector has grown into a $130 billion global industry, Australia could be well-placed to cash in.

Key points:

Tasmania's climate and strong reputation in Asia could help establish a Chinese medicine industry

Researchers investigate whether local medicinal herbs have the same qualities as those from Asia

Rising demand and dwindling supply create exciting opportunities for farmers

Rising demand and strain on the supply of medicinal herbs has created an "exciting opportunity" for farmers, according to Professor Dugald Close from the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture.

"These traditional herbs have been used for centuries but, of course, we've got major increases in population, particularly in South-East Asia," he said.

"Land is an issue. Traditionally a lot of these herbs were wild harvested. It's not sustainable to do that anymore and so we're cultivating the products."

Professor Close is leading a decade-long research project to establish whether medicinal crops such as ginseng, Chinese bellflower and shiso can be grown in Tasmania.

"New crops always get farmers really excited," he said.

He was "very excited and hopeful" the project could kickstart another Tasmanian agricultural success story, such as the premium poppy and pyrethrum industries that have emerged in recent decades.

But first, he and his team have to prove that local crops are just as good as those sourced in Asia.

Growing a new industry

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-01-08/chinese-medicine-opportunity-for-tasmania/100743394

Can't harvest your data if we close the back door!

Services Australia brushes off vulnerability concerns in COVID-19 digital certificates

There are no vulnerability disclosure programs in place nor any future plans to implement such a thing for Australia's COVID-19 digital certificate

During Australia's federal Budget Estimates last year, Services Australia was grilled by senators about various initiatives under its remit, from the COVID-19 digital certificate rollout to the bungled robo-debt scheme.

Of concern to Labor Senators Tim Ayres and Nita Green was the alleged lack of security of Australia's COVID-19 digital certificates, with both of them criticising the certificate for being easily forged through man-in-the-middle cyber attacks.

Providing responses to the senators' concerns, Services Australia said it was aware of reports concerning man-in-the-middle cyber attacks via the Medicare Express Plus app, but brushed off the concerns by merely saying such attacks "require significant knowledge and expertise".

It added that there are currently no vulnerability disclosure programs in place nor any future plans to implement such a program for the digital vaccination certificates. This is despite security researcher Richard Nelson last year detailing the difficulty for the private sector and the public in reporting vulnerabilities about the certificates to government, which was referenced by Ayres during Budget Estimates.

Services Australia also said the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) had no plans to consider establishing bounty programs.

"Services Australia takes the integrity of the Medicare system and the Australian Immunisation Register extremely seriously," Services Australia said in its response to questions on notice.

"Full cyber assessments are undertaken several times a year and we work closely with the Australian Signals Directorate and Australian Cyber Security Centre on potential vulnerabilities on mobile applications."

As of the end of October, over 12.3 million Australians have downloaded COVID-19 digital certificates, the agency said in another response.

For Australia's other federal COVID-19 product, COVIDSafe, the DTA provided an update that monthly costs to run the app have been around what it expected of around AU$60,000 a month since it took over responsibility for the app. As of early October, there are 7.7 million COVIDSafe registrations, DTA added.

The DTA had also been asked by Labor Senator Marielle Smith during Budget Estimates on how many people had downloaded the app and then deleted it, but the agency said it does not track that data.

In regards to questions about Service Australia's progress in refunding wrongly issued robo-debts, the agency provided more information about the people who are still yet to receive a refund.

The agency said there are now around 8,500 people who are yet to receive a refund. Of these, 501 are deceased estates, 280 are incarcerated, 539 are indigenous, and 106 had a vulnerability indicator on their customer record at the time they were last in receipt of payment.

Services Australia explained that these refunds had not been processed yet as the victims have not provided bank details to the agency in order to receive the payment.

A Senate Committee inquiring into the robo-debt system is still awaiting for Services Australia and Minister for Government Services, Linda Reynolds, to provide documents about the legal advice Services Australia received in implementing robo-debt. Both have refused to provide that information under claims of public interest immunity.

.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/services-australia-brushes-off-vulnerability-concerns-in-covid-19-digital-certificates/

US and Australia enter CLOUD Act agreement for cross-border access to electronic evidence

Negotiations between the two countries regarding an agreement had been in development for over two years.

Australia and the United States have entered into a landmark CLOUD Act agreement to bolster efforts in preventing serious organised crime, terrorism, ransomware attacks, critical infrastructure sabotage, and child sexual abuse.

The Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act, known as the CLOUD Act, is a US legal instrument that allows for law enforcement to access data across borders.

"Signing the CLOUD Act Agreement will enable our two nations' law enforcement agencies to share important digital information and data with each other, under carefully defined legal authorities and safeguards," said Karen Andrews, Australia's Minister of Home Affairs.

Through the bilateral agreement, Australia's law enforcement agencies gain the ability to issue orders compelling US service providers to provide communications data for the purposes of combatting serious crime directly on US-based companies, and vice versa.

Previously, Australian law enforcement agencies could only rely on mechanisms such as mutual legal assistance agreements to access crucial evidence from other countries, which have been flagged as complex and time-consuming by Home Affairs.

It's the second CLOUD Act agreement to come into force, after a similar one was finalised between the UK and US in 2019.

"This agreement paves the way for more efficient cross-border transfers of data between the United States and Australia so that our governments can more effectively counter serious crime, including terrorism, while adhering to the privacy and civil liberties values that we both share," said US Attorney-General Merrick Garland.

Australia and the US have been working on an agreement since 2019, but Australia needed to implement other legislation over the past two years in order to establish the required framework for a CLOUD Act agreement to exist. Over that span, the Australian government has faced scrutiny over its push for a CLOUD Act agreement, with privacy advocates like Australian Privacy Foundation saying such an agreement "conflated bureaucratic convenience with what is imperative".

The CLOUD Act agreement comes off the heels of Australia announcing various initiatives in recent months to prevent crime. In December alone, Australia has announced the Online Safety Youth Advisory Council, passed "Magnitsky-style" and Critical Infrastructure cyber attack laws, commenced work on electronic surveillance law reforms, and proposed anti-trolling laws. The Australian government also started work on a new ransomware plan back in October.

While some of those initiatives have drawn praise, others have drawn criticism for being rush jobs and lacking nuance.

The bilateral agreement will now undergo parliamentary and congressional review processes in both countries before it is finalised.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/australia-and-the-us-enter-into-cloud-act-agreement-for-cross-border-access-to-electronic-evidence/

Mozilla temporarily stops crypto donations over climate impact concerns

Change in course follows outcry from some Mozilla and Gecko founders.

Mozilla started off 2022 thinking it was making an innocuous call for donations in the form of cryptocurrency on Twitter. Mozilla was wrong.

Responding to the tweet days later and calling out the browser maker were Jamie Zawinski and Peter Linss.

"Hi, I'm sure that whoever runs this account has no idea who I am, but I founded Mozilla and I'm here to say fuck you and fuck this," Zawinski said. "Everyone involved in the project should be witheringly ashamed of this decision to partner with planet-incinerating Ponzi grifters."

Linuss was no less withering in his criticism.

"Hey Mozilla, I expect you don't know me either, but I designed Gecko, the engine your browser is built on. And I'm 100% with [Zawinski] on this. What. The. Actual. Fuck. You were meant to be better than this," he said.

Before the week was out, Mozilla was changing course.

"Last week, we tweeted a reminder that Mozilla accepts cryptocurrency donations. This led to an important discussion about cryptocurrency's environmental impact. We're listening, and taking action," it said.

"So, starting today we are reviewing if and how our current policy on crypto donations fits with our climate goals. And as we conduct our review, we will pause the ability to donate cryptocurrency."

Mozilla said decentralised technology was still going to be an area to explore but that "a lot has changed since we started accepting crypto donations".

The browser maker said its review would be transparent and it would be making regular updates.

See also: Not a token further: Could backlashes spur ways to bring crypto-cowboys to heel?

The energy usage involved in the process of computers yelling numbers at each other, which is also called proof of work cryptocurrency mining, has increasingly raised concerns.

In November, Swedish authorities called for an EU-wide ban on the practice.

"It is currently possible to drive a mid-size electric car 1.8 million kilometres using the same energy it takes to mine one single Bitcoin," Swedish regulators said.

"This is the equivalent of forty-four laps around the globe. Nine-hundred Bitcoins are mined every day. This is not a reasonable use of our renewable energy".

Earlier this week, Kosovo banned cryptocurrency mining to curb energy consumption in an effort to ease short and long-term energy shortages.

The annual usage of electricity used to power Bitcoin is said to be 134 TWh, around the same output as Argentina, and enough to negate the global carbon savings from using electric vehicles.

On Wednesday, Chromium-based browser Vivaldi responded to a user asking it to not follow Mozilla.

"We really aren't fans of crypto and NFT's [sic]," Vivaldi said.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/mozilla-temporarily-stops-crypto-donations-over-climate-impact-concerns/

Former Senior Policy Advisor to City of Austin Official Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Misapply Federal Funds and to Falsify Records

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr/former-senior-policy-advisor-city-austin-official-pleads-guilty-conspiring-misapply

White House, Western Media Shift Gears as Kazakhstan’s Tokayev Gets ‘Russian-Backed Strongman’ Label

From Venezuela to Ethiopia, countries targeted for regime change by Washington inevitably see their leaders labeled as “strongmen” backed by “dictators” in Russia or China. The recent deployment of this term for Kazakh President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev as the US declares its innocence in destructive riots is thus a dark sign of times to come.

“There are some crazy Russian claims about the US being behind this,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Wednesday about the riots in Kazakhstan. “So, let me just use this opportunity to convey that as absolutely false and clearly a part of the standard Russian disinformation playbook we’ve seen a lot of in past years.”

After events in Kazakhstan took a decisive turn on Wednesday, so did western media’s orientation toward them. Now, Tokayev has become a “Russian-backed” strongman and the West has found another self-proclaimed opposition leader to drive a wedge into the country’s politics.

On January 2, Kazakhstan’s western Mangystau region saw several oil-rich towns near the Caspian Sea erupt in demonstrations over a sharp rise in petroleum prices. However, other demonstrations soon erupted in Almaty, the country’s eastern metropolis and former capital, which became far more violent. Public buildings were stormed, sacked and torched, and rioters attacked police with weapons, including rifles.

At least 4,000 rioters have been arrested, while thousands have been injured and an unknown number killed. Hundreds of police officers and national guardsmen have also been injured and at least 18 killed, including two who were beheaded. Tokyaev said Friday that roughly 20,000 gunmen had attacked Almaty and displayed evidence of foreign training.

Tokayev declared a state of emergency, said the rioters were terrorists with foreign backing, and invoked the mutual defense clause of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). CSTO members Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have all answered the call, sending peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan to protect public buildings but not engage in law enforcement operations.

https://sputniknews.com/20220107/white-house-western-media-shift-gears-as-kazakhstans-tokayev-gets-russian-backed-strongman-label-1092103989.html

Digital yuan given green light by Chinese tech giant

Its adoption by Tencent-owned WeChat is expected to attract over a billion users to China’s national digital currency

Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent has reportedly added support for digital yuan to its WeChat Pay wallet, granting users the option to pay using China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC).

To use the CBDC in transactions, WeChat users need to have already verified their identity via the e-CNY app, the digital yuan wallet application developed by the People’s Bank of China, China Daily reported on Thursday. Once activated, the option will allow users to pay with and receive the currency in WeChat.

The pilot version of the e-CNY app was launched earlier this week, as Beijing continues the rollout of its CBDC.

Developed by Tencent, WeChat is the dominant instant-messaging app in mainland China, with over a billion users. Along with Alipay, WeChat is often dubbed a ‘super app’, as it integrates a wide range of services.

China has been developing the concept of the sovereign digital currency since 2014. The digital yuan, whose trial period has been ongoing for over a year, had settled $9.7 billion worth of transactions as of the end of October 2021.

The potential expansion of e-CNY usage comes ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics this year. The PBOC aims to have the digital yuan ready for the event, which is set to start in the Chinese capital on February 4.

Tencent also said it would explore novel digital yuan payment experiences in Beijing’s Winter Olympic Village, which will open its gates on January 27.

https://www.rt.com/business/545395-digital-yuan-tencent-wechat-china/

COVID live updates: Former PM Malcolm Turnbull tests positive

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-08/covid-live-blog-latest-updates-omicron-rats-national-cabinet/100745132