- not for fb deletion - Greetings, team. 10 things you need to know this morning in Australia

1. The Guardian is reporting this morning that the government will raise the JobSeeker payment by $50 a fortnight. While it is an increase, it will still fall below the current rate, which is bolstered by the coronavirus supplement until the end of March. Meanwhile, activists including the Australian Unemployed Workers Union are pushing a campaign for JobSeeker to be $80 a day, pushing the payment above the poverty line. 2. The Bank of Queensland (BoQ) will buy ME Bank under a new proposal worth $1.325 billion. “This is a major step in providing a compelling alternative to the big four banks,” CEO George Frazis said in a market update. While the ACCC has already green-lit the deal, it will now need to be signed off by regulators. 3. TikTok Australia has announced a new partnership with e-commerce platform Shopify, tightening the links between social media and online retailers. Local businesses will be free to create TikTok marketing campaigns, target specific user groups and monitor ad performance through Shopify. The news comes as competitors, including Instagram, seek new ways to get users to spend while they scroll. 4. Facebook has tried to restart talks with major news outlets Nine Entertainment Co and News Corp Australia about paying for news content, the SMH reports. However, the company wants to maintain the right to abandon these deals if Australia passes the media bargaining code, which is obviously a sticking point in negotiations. 5. Since Facebook brought down the hammer on news in Australia, the top-performing Australian pages look markedly difference. According to data from social media analysis tool CrowdTangle, Australian News Feeds are now populated with more satire and specific interest pages in their feeds in the place of news. 6. A 50%-odd rally in sharemarkets in 2020 has sent retail investors running headlong into the market and is fuelling growth of investment services. Commission-free US broker Stake tripled the number of traders on its platform in just eight months, hitting 300,000 in February. Meanwhile SelfWealth has reported “the most substantial period of customer growth in the company’s history”. 7. The coronavirus death toll in the US has passed 500,000. The country hit 400,000 deaths just over a month ago, on January 20. “It’s nothing like we have ever been through in the last 102 years, since the 1918 influenza pandemic,” the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, told CNN. 8. After a month laying low, Trump is going to give his first address since leaving the presidency. He’s set to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Florida next week. He is expected to talk about the future of the Republican Party and criticise Joe Biden’s policies. 9. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed a timeline for lifting coronavirus restrictions in England. Schools are scheduled to open starting March 8, with all remaining restrictions lifted gradually. Indoor mixing will stay banned until at least May, with some restrictions remaining long into June. Makes you pretty glad for our situation! 10. Bitcoin tumbled 8% Monday after hitting a record above $US58,000 for the first time over the weekend. On Sunday, Bitcoin hit $US58,042, for a year-to-date gain of over 100%. The popular cryptocurrency has surged 305% in 2020. BONUS ITEM Okay, this is just nuts. This is a non-exclusive NBA clip, traded like a real asset. Top Shots is either genius or completely demented, and possibly both.10 things you need to know this morning in Australia (via @BIAUS) https://www.businessinsider.com.au/10-things-you-need-to-know-this-morning-in-australia-v17-2021-2