Markets
Alibaba shares fall after reports of anti-monopoly probe by China
Once hailed as drivers of economic prosperity and symbols of the country's technological prowess, Alibaba and rivals like Tencent Holdings face increasing pressure from regulators after amassing hundreds of millions of users and gaining influence over nearly every aspect of daily life in China . [Full Article...]
Ontario reporting record high number of COVID-19 cases with 2,447
According to Health Minister Christine Elliott, over 64,000 tests were completed, an increase from the almost 56,700 tests completed Wednesday, Tuesday's 58,200 and Monday's 45,300. The modelling also stated that that number could surpass 1,500 by mid-January under the worst-case scenario. The province has said that when more than 300 COVID-19 patients are in the ICU, medical care not related to... [Full Article...]
Twitter employees to work from home forever
A spokesperson from Twitter told The Guardian the company was "one of the first companies to go to a work-from-home model" because of Covid-19, but does not anticipate being one of the first to return to its offices. "It will be careful, intentional, office by office and gradual", informed Twitter. Dorsey also added that only employees in which have no replacement for their physical presence, ... [Full Article...]
Lockdown extended for Sydney's northern beaches as Covid-19 cases rise
Eight of the nine cases were connected to the northern beaches cluster - six of which were household contacts of prior cases - and one case which authorities believe may be a false positive test result. Meanwhile, New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard condemned Christmas Day revelers who gathered in their hundreds at Bronte Beach, which is in Sydney's eastern suburbs and not part of the are... [Full Article...]
Gold up on United States stimulus uncertainty
On Thursday, the US Dollar Index (DXY) measured against a basket of six major currencies had been trading lower after snapping its three-day long streak of gain on yesterday , as a US Dollar-buying spree seemed to have blunted by an abrupt hike in risk appetite over expectations of an imminent Brexit trade deal alongside a $892 billion in US pandemic stimulus package. [Full Article...]
China's Sinovac CoronaVac efficacy at 50-90% in Brazilian trial
The small number of volunteers on which the Turkish researchers based their calculation of efficacy raised questions about the certainty of their conclusions. Although these three were infected, they didn't feel any symptoms of the disease, ' said Koca. This month, Egypt accepted its first batch of a COVID-19 vaccine developed under Sinopharm and shipped from the United Arab Emirates, which ran ... [Full Article...]
Nuro becomes first driverless car delivery service in California
To ensure security, customers must enter a special PIN provided to them upon ordering to unlock the vehicle's vertical hatches and collect their medication. This means Nuro won't be able to make trips to places like San Francisco just yet. Nuro's fleet will be restricted to 35mph and can only operate in "fair weather" conditions. [Full Article...]
China launches anti-monopoly probe into Alibaba
Investors also cheered reports that Britain and the European Union were on the cusp of striking a narrow Brexit trade deal. The State Administration for Market Regulation has posted a short statement on its website announcing the anti-monopoly probe. [Full Article...]