1. Bingo confirms takeover offer
Bingo Industries has confirmed that is has received "an unsolicited, highly conditional, non-binding, indicative proposal" from funds advised by CPE Capital. The takeover bid is worth $3.50 a share in cash, a 28% premium to the waste management company's last traded price of $2.74.
2. International travel could be off the cards until year
Australia's international borders could remain closed until 2022 according to Department of Health secretary Brendan Murphy, as authorities remain concerned about the transmission of COVID-19 even from those that receive the vaccine. "I think we will go most of this year with still substantial border restrictions," Murphy said yesterday. Read Peter Switzer's analysis today.
3. Donald Trump's approval rating reaches new low
President Donald Trump is set to leave office with the lowest approval rating of his presidency according to Gallup, which found that 34% of Americans approve of the job he is doing as President. Gallup said that Trump is the only president to have never received a rating of 50% or more since it started it started measuring job approval in 1938.
4. WHO chief warns of potential 'catastrophic moral failure' of vaccine rollout
World Health Organisation Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has highlighted the importance of a "rapid and equitable rollout of vaccines" at WHO's executive board meeting. "It’s not right that younger, healthier adults in rich countries are vaccinated before health workers and older people in poorer countries," Dr Tedros said.
5. US markets closed on Monday
The Australian sharemarket will be without its usual lead in from Wall Street today due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. The holiday kicked off inauguration week in the US, as Joe Biden will be sworn in as President at 4am AEDT on Thursday.