Blogotariat

Oz Blog News Commentary
THE BLOT REPORT Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 13:38 Source

Like many people who use computers, I use Microsoft Word for much of what I write for this blog and I also for my scientific papers. In addition, I used to be the editor for a scientific journal from 1996 to 2016 and, when I started that, it was a very steep learning curve using rather clunky software called Pagemaker1. Eventually Pagemaker was replaced by the superb InDesign which was part of Adobe Creative Suite2.

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Renew Economy Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 13:01 Source

The number of home battery models available through the Cheaper Home Batteries rebate has ballooned by nearly 500 since July 2025, new data shows.

The post Want a Cheaper Home Battery? Federal rebate now offers 1,259 models to choose from appeared first on Renew Economy.

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MacroBusiness Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 12:30 Source

NDX is threatening to make a mess as recent range breaks down. Charts from TME. The fringe always leads the centre. Enough? SOX socked. So far, it has been software that has crashed, but if semis follow, then the AI story is cracking up. Tech volatility is near range lows unless this is something new.

The post Tech flushed appeared first on MacroBusiness.

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Your Democracy Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 12:09 Source

While everyone is scouring over the millions of newly released Epstein documents, which continue to expose the disgusting depths of depravity among Western elites, a familiar discredited voice has surfaced with a convenient alternative tale: blame Russia.

Where did the “blame Russia for Epstein” conspiracy come from? 

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MacroBusiness Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 12:00 Source

The Albanese government’s 5% deposit scheme has encouraged many Australian first-home buyers to enter the market. Introduced in October 2025, the First Home Buyer Guarantee program allows eligible buyers to purchase a home with a 5% deposit, with the federal government guaranteeing the remaining 15%. This means buyers avoid paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), which

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MacroBusiness Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 11:30 Source

As the full scope of the decline of the Coalition continues to become apparent, elements of the Labor base are revelling in the ongoing political demolition of their longtime rivals. According to the latest polling from RedBridge, the Coalition is polling just 19% for their primary vote, compared with 26% for One Nation. While it’s

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MacroBusiness Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 11:30 Source

The ferrous jaws are closing, though we still need a price nearer to $90 for iron ore for steel enterprises to make sense. With a mild cyclone season so far, price pressure is likely to continue into CNY, which runs from February 16 to February 22. Typically, there is some kind of bounce afterwards before

The post Green steel abandons Australia appeared first on MacroBusiness.

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MacroBusiness Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 11:00 Source

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has slashed the official cash rate (OCR) by half (2.25%) since mid-2024: These rate cuts by the Reserve Bank have reduced mortgage borrowing costs dramatically, as illustrated below by Justin Fabo from Antipodean Macro: Normally, such a sharp reduction in interest rates would stimulate activity, leading to a rebound

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Renew Economy Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 10:54 Source

coal-mine-train-loader-siemens-adani-train-rail-Edit-1200A detailed breakdown of political donations shows fossil fuel contributions to major parties are dwarfed by the scale of coal industry funding of astroturfing campaigns.

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Your Democracy Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 10:43 Source

The World Economic Forum claims to represent global cooperation, but its structure, silences and hierarchies tell a different story about who sets the agenda – and who is expected to listen.

 

Chandran Nair

Davos and the myth of a global conversation

 

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MacroBusiness Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 10:30 Source

One of the worst fads of the energy transition has been the push from various state authorities to get households off gas and onto electricity. Tony Wood at the corrupt Grattan Institute began it. Various gullible and noxious pollies, especially in VIC, embraced it as a great distraction from Wood’s former employer and Grattan sponsor,

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MacroBusiness Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 10:00 Source

Victorians have experienced acute Stockholm Syndrome with respect to the state Labor government. Victoria’s nine-month lockdown during the Covid-19 outbreak was among the longest and most severe in the world. The state government’s incompetence in handling hotel quarantine and enforcement contributed to this situation. Victoria’s infrastructure projects have experienced massive cost overruns, and the government

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MacroBusiness Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 09:30 Source

DXY isn’t going away as Trump cancelled a Friday meeting with Tehran. Australian dollar fell but remains strong. CNY is supportive. JPY is about to become a problem again. Gold trying. Iranian oil lift. AI metals are in free fall. Miners don’t care. Jim Cramer is now recommending RIO. Look out below. EM toppy. Junk

The post Australian dollar takes a holiday to Europe appeared first on MacroBusiness.

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Your Democracy Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 09:25 Source

Australia’s migration law allows entry to be refused on character grounds including genocide, war crimes and incitement. How that discretion is exercised speaks directly to Australia’s commitment to international law.

 

Kellie Tranter

Allegations, immunity, and a test of character

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MacroBusiness Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 09:00 Source

Another uneasy night on risk markets with concerns mounting over the Iranian situation as talks collapse while Wall Street took another tumble on tech stock volatility. The USD came back against some of the majors, particularly Yen while a fall in commodities like copper and gold saw the Australian dollar lose ground to revert below

The post Macro Morning appeared first on MacroBusiness.

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