A ROADMAP TO...

Energy Minister Angus Taylor will today announce that the Coalition’s technology roadmap will overlook wind and solar, which are “coming to an end of value”, and focus on the “next challenges”, such as hydrogen, methane from livestock, and (Trojan horse alert) carbon capture and storage, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

And rather than policy per se, according to The Conversation, Taylor will call for “economic goals” of four to five times existing R&D investment from the private sector.

FUN FACTS: Australia sourced 79% of our electricity from fossil fuels in 2018; renewable investment has tanked post-2020 Renewable Energy Target; and as Crikey has noted multiple times, and despite the millions of dollars already pissed away at carbon capture and storage, the most effective form of sequestration is trees.

MORRISON TO DECLARE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

The Morrison government has extended the China travel ban until March 7 and is preparing to declare a coronavirus pandemic, the ABC and The Sydney Morning Herald report, with emergency measures aimed at hospitals, schools and aged-care facilities.

According to The Australian ($), University of Queensland virologist Ian Mackay believes COVID-19 — like the four existing strains of coronavirus — is destined to become an endemic virus, that’s just “with us for life”, but generally manifests as little more than a cold.

Notably, with new Deloitte modelling indicating the virus will knock $6 billion off tourism, mining and education this year, the Coalition is now considering new economic stimulus, The Age reports.

ANTI-MUSLIM RIOTS

The death toll from anti-Muslim riots in Delhi has hit 37, Al Jazeera reports. The violence was sparked when Muslims protesting against discriminatory citizenship law were attacked by Hindu mobs.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Donald Trump, who, speaking at a mega-cricket stadium together, received strong applause praising India and the US’ fight against “radical Islamic terrorism”.

FOREIGN AID ALMOST EXTINCT

The Sydney Morning Herald reports 25 of Australia’s 29 foreign aid deals have expired throughout seven years of consistent, billion-dollar cuts to the budget — while remaining deals with Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Tuvalu are set to expire in July.

TALKING POINT: Aid isn’t the only sector being forced to trim the fat. The Australian ($) reports defence has had to dip into its $200 billion capital investment program — designed for new equipment, tech and infrastructure — to pay salaries, clean up pollution, maintain IT and compensate sexual assault survivors.