10 things you need to know this morning in Australia

[View this email via your browser]( [Business Insider Australia]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [LinkedIn]( [Enable Images to View]( [Enable Images to View]( [10 things you need to know this morning in Australia]( Hello team. [Enable Images to View]( [‘Harmful outcomes’: The US has urged Australia to ditch its plan to force Facebook and Google to pay for news]( US trade representatives say Australia's draft media bargaining code is "fundamentally unbalanced", with consequences that could "significantly harm Australian consumers". [Enable Images to View]( [A new generation of digital payday lenders are springing up in Australia as demand for short-term loans surges]( A new breed of digital payday lenders are popping up in Australia, with the lending niche growing five times larger in just 12 months. Joining an array of app-based competitors, the Commonwealth Bank is offering its own pay advance feature to customers. [Enable Images to View]( [From Facebook to News Corp: here are the 5 most interesting submissions to Kevin Rudd's media diversity inquiry so far]( After a public campaign led by Kevin Rudd for a royal commission into media diversity in Australia, the Senate agreed to establish an inquiry late last year. [Enable Images to View]( ['We won't have much of a tourism industry left': Tourism boss calls for JobKeeper extension as borders stay shut]( The head of Australia's peak tourism industry body has called for an extension to the JobKeeper subsidy to counteract the continuing financial strain caused by international and domestic border closures. [Enable Images to View]( [Enable Images to View]( [Virgin Australia is trying to retain frequent flyer members by offering them a share of 20 million points – here’s how to get a slice]( Virgin Australia is offering Velocity Frequent Flyer members a slice of 20 million velocity points. "This is our way of thanking them for their loyalty," a Virgin Australia spokesperson said in a statement. [Enable Images to View]( [Australians racked up $24 billion in credit card debt for Christmas, as the country remembers how to spend again]( More than $24 billion was spent on Australian credit cards over the Christmas period, according to RBA forecasts. Although lower than last year, the figure remains substantial, amounting to $1,748 per card, Finder analysis found. [Enable Images to View]( [Trump admits his term is ending but doesn't say Biden's name or formally concede election loss in White House farewell speech]( Trump acknowledged that a new administration will take office in a 20-minute farewell video on Tuesday. In the video, Trump wished the new administration luck without ever mentioning Biden's name. [Enable Images to View]( [Sweden is turning into a wine hotspot because of climate change]( Sweden's wine industry barely existed 20 years ago, but is now booming because of climate change. Warmer and longer summers have pushed the global winemaking map north, and experts predict Sweden could compete with France, Italy, and Spain in the coming years. [Enable Images to View]( [Naked Wines is like Shark Tank for small winemakers — I tried a suspiciously generous $100-off voucher and was surprised by the quality of the wines]( I discovered Naked Wines thanks to a A$100-off voucher and was impressed by the quality of "easy drinking" wines, the 100% satisfaction guarantee, and the interesting way the company supports small winemakers. [Enable Images to View]( Business Insider Australia © 2021 [Pedestrian Group]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Email to a Friend]( • [Privacy Policy](