Business and Tech
Britain okays vaccine as global Covid death toll nears 1.5 million
AFP - 24m ago
Britain on Wednesday became the first western country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine for general use, while Japan and …
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UK supermarket king Tesco to repay virus tax relief
AFP - 2h ago
Britain's biggest retailer Tesco on Wednesday said it had decided to repay tax relief received this year as part of …
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Stocks pause after vaccine-fuelled rally
AFP - 2h ago
Stock markets marked time on Wednesday as a rally fuelled by vaccine hopes petered out despite confirmation that the UK …
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Barnier says no guarantee of Brexit trade deal as talks grind on
AFP - 3h ago
Chief EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned Wednesday he can not guarantee he will strike a trade deal with Britain …
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American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX flight aims to reassure
AFP - 3h ago
The Boeing 737 MAX will take another key step in its comeback to commercial travel on Wednesday by attempting to …
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Shoppers flock to England's reopened high streets as lockdown ends
AFP - 3h ago
Shoppers returned to England’s high streets Wednesday as shops reopened following the end of a four-week coronavirus …
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Virus-hit travel giant TUI secures new 1.8 bn-euro aid package
AFP - 11m ago
German travel giant TUI on Wednesday said it secured a third aid package -- this time worth 1.8 billion euros -- to help …
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Stocks slide after vaccine-fuelled rally
AFP - 2h ago
Stock markets retreated Wednesday, as a rally fuelled by vaccine hopes petered out despite confirmation that the UK will …
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US private job growth slows in November: ADP
AFP - 5h ago
US private employment continued to grow in November albeit at a slower-than-anticipated rate, according to private data …
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African cocoa producers unleash PR offensive on chocolate giants
AFP - 5h ago
The world's two biggest cocoa suppliers, Ivory Coast and Ghana, have taken a tussle with chocolate multinationals to the …
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Stocks steady after vaccine-fuelled rally
AFP - 3h ago
Stock markets steadied Wednesday, as a rally fuelled by vaccine hopes petered out with confirmation that the UK will …
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Barnier says no guarantee of Brexit trade deal
AFP - 6h ago
Chief EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned Wednesday he can not guarantee he will strike a trade deal with …
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Markets struggle to extend rally but vaccine optimism remains
AFP - 3h ago
Stock markets were mixed Wednesday after the previous strong run-up, with profit-taking playing against vaccine …
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Trump threatens military spending veto in social media bias battle
AFP - 11h ago
Donald Trump has threatened to veto a major military funding bill unless Congress abolishes a liability law protecting …
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Asian markets struggle to build on rally but optimism remains
AFP - 1h ago
Asian markets were mixed Wednesday after the previous strong run-up, with profit-taking playing against vaccine …
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Allies raise a glass to Australia amid China wine dispute
AFP - 14h ago
Australia's global allies voiced support for the country's beleaguered wine industry Wednesday, vowing to down a glass …
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Demand for S.African 'superfood' blueberries booming
AFP - 15h ago
Floppy hats and face masks on, hundreds of workers carefully pick a bumper crop of blueberries on the sunny slopes of …
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Welsh former steel town Ebbw Vale braces for post-Brexit era
AFP - 13h ago
In a few weeks' time, Britain leaves the European Union single market and Brussels turns off the tap of financial …
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Uncertain recovery to follow coronavirus shock
AFP - 16h ago
The coronavirus pandemic triggered a historic global economic shock that required determined government initiative to …
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China's 'space dream': A Long March to the Moon and beyond
AFP - 16h ago
China's landing this week of a probe on the Moon -- the first attempt by any nation to retrieve lunar samples in four …
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Covid-19 lockdowns drive spike in online child abuse
AFP - 10h ago
Out-of-school kids and adult predators spending more time at home and on the internet during the coronavirus pandemic is …
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Lab developing device to help Earth dodge asteroids
AFP - 16h ago
In a corner of the campus at Riga Technical University, a team of scientists is working on technology that could one day …
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Australia exits first recession in almost 30 years
AFP - 16h ago
Australia has exited its first recession in almost 30 years, after official figures on Wednesday showed the economy grew …
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Greece's undeclared workers hit hard by virus lockdown
AFP - 17h ago
Every time Elisa drives to a client's house for a hairdressing job, she makes sure to pack a bag of groceries in the car …
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Biden pledges help 'on the way' for US economy
AFP - 2h ago
President-elect Joe Biden presented his economic team on Tuesday and pledged they would lead the charge on a plan to …
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The bookseller of Kinshasa: A lone fight to help DR Congo's bookworms
AFP - 14h ago
In the aircraft hold, Alpha Ramazani has stowed a precious cargo.
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Salesforce to buy Slack in $27.7 bn software megadeal
AFP - 14h ago
Salesforce on Tuesday announced a $27.7 billion deal to buy online collaboration firm Slack, giving the business …
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Nasdaq seeks US approval to require board diversity
Dec 01 2020
Citing sluggish progress in appointing non-white directors, the Nasdaq announced Tuesday it was seeking US regulatory …
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Stocks rally on economic recovery hopes
Dec 01 2020
Stock markets rallied Tuesday on economic recovery hopes fueled by upbeat Chinese data and expectations for Covid …
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US Supreme Court considers firms' liability for Africa child slavery
Dec 01 2020
The US Supreme Court considered Tuesday whether two major corporations -- Nestle USA and Cargill -- can be held …
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Biden calls on US Congress to pass 'robust' relief plan
Dec 01 2020
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday called on Congress to quickly approve a "robust" aid plan to address the Covid-19 …
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'Sabre-toothed tiger' skeleton up for auction
Dec 01 2020
A nearly 40-million-year-old skeleton belonging to what is popularly called a sabre-toothed tiger is going under the …
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BlackBerry, Amazon team up on smart car software platform
Dec 01 2020
BlackBerry and Amazon on Tuesday announced an alliance to create a cloud computing platform that cars could link to for …
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US lawmakers renew stimulus push as focus shifts to Biden team
Dec 01 2020
President-elect Joe Biden will present his economic team on Tuesday, as a bipartisan group of legislators makes a …
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US lawmakers renew stimulus push as focus shifts to Biden
Dec 01 2020
President-elect Joe Biden will present his economic team on Tuesday, as a bipartisan group of senators make a renewed …
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Virus hampers US manufacturing growth in November: survey
Dec 01 2020
The US manufacturing sector continued to grow in November but the coronavirus pandemic was still exacting a toll, …
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Facebook 'supreme court' begins daunting task on content disputes
Dec 01 2020
Facebook's "supreme court" tasked with deciding on allowing or removing sensitive and harmful content has begun …
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Airbnb seeks valuation up to $35 bn in IPO filing
Dec 01 2020
Airbnb is seeking to raise some $2.6 billion in its upcoming share offering, which could give the home-sharing giant a …
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Dublin has shopping fever as Ireland ends second virus lockdown
Dec 01 2020
Dublin thronged with face-masked Christmas shoppers on Tuesday as Ireland ended a second partial coronavirus lockdown, …
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Collapse of two UK retailers puts 25,000 jobs at risk
Dec 01 2020
Debenhams and Topshop-owner Arcadia, two of Britain's biggest clothing retailers, stood on the brink of collapse Tuesday …
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OPEC delays talks with allies until Thursday
Dec 01 2020
The members of the OPEC oil producers cartel decided Tuesday to delay by two days talks with their allies over a …
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World economy back to pre-pandemic level in 2021: OECD
Dec 01 2020
The global economy may get back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of next year as vaccines help propel recovery, but …
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US hits Chinese company over Venezuela internet curbs
Dec 01 2020
The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on a major Chinese electronics and engineering company for assisting …
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Stock markets resume rally as traders focus on virus jabs
Dec 01 2020
Markets rallied Tuesday as investors resumed their vaccine-fuelled buying spree, though traders were kept in check by …
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China factory activity sees fastest growth in decade: survey
Dec 01 2020
Activity in China's factories expanded at its fastest pace in a decade last month, data showed Tuesday, the latest sign …
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Asian markets resume rally as traders focus on virus jabs
Dec 01 2020
Asian markets rallied Tuesday as investors resumed their vaccine-fuelled buying spree, though traders were kept in check …
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Philip Green: crown slips for 'king of high street'
Dec 01 2020
Philip Green is a rough-around-the-edges entrepreneur knighted for services to retail before scandals, a bankruptcy and …
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Unilever New Zealand to trial four-day work week
Dec 01 2020
Unilever New Zealand said on Tuesday it would trial a four-day work week for staff in the country, with no cut to their …
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Mars and Hershey's accused of avoiding fair pay for cocoa farmers
Dec 01 2020
Two of the world's largest cocoa producers have accused Hershey's and Mars of avoiding paying a bonus that helps boost …
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Biden taps Yellen to lead barrier-breaking economic team
Dec 01 2020
President-elect Joe Biden announced Monday he will nominate former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen to lead the …
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S&P Global gobbles up IHS Markit in $44 bn deal
Dec 01 2020
Credit ratings giant S&P Global reached an all-stock deal to buy IHS Markit for $44 billion, the companies announced …
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Bank of America latest to say no to financing Arctic drilling
Dec 01 2020
Bank of America said Monday that it would not finance oil and gas drilling projects in the Arctic, the latest large US …
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Facebook, Google becoming 'human rights-free zones' in Vietnam: Amnesty
Dec 01 2020
Facebook and Google are fast becoming "human rights-free zones" in Vietnam, Amnesty International warned Tuesday, …
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US watchdog finds flaws in key unemployment data
Nov 30 2020
A US government watchdog said Monday that a key measure of unemployment is based on flawed data, making assessing the …
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Canada virus measures push deficit to record Can$382 bln
Nov 30 2020
Canada's budget deficit is projected to balloon to a record Can$382 billion (US$284 billion) as government spending …
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Fed's Powell stresses economic uncertainty, Mnuchin hails recovery
Nov 30 2020
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell offered mirror images of the state of the US …
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Stocks slip as infections overshadow vaccine hopes
Nov 30 2020
Global equity markets fell back Monday as hopes that Covid-19 vaccines will soon be rolled out were overshadowed by …
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Exxon Mobil to write down assets by up to $20 bn in Q4
Nov 30 2020
Exxon Mobil said Monday it will write down as much as $20 billion in assets as the oil giant slashes capital spending …
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DoorDash aims to raise more than $2 bn with IPO
Nov 30 2020
Food delivery service DoorDash aimed to raise upwards of $2 billion in a stock market debut valuing the startup at more …
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UK retailer Arcadia enters into administration
Nov 30 2020
British clothing retail group and Topshop owner Arcadia, ravaged by coronavirus lockdowns and fierce online competition, …
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OPEC+ meeting Tuesday will seek to agree on extended production cuts
Nov 30 2020
The OPEC oil producers' club will hold a second day of talks on Tuesday, as they attempt to reach agreement on extending …
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Facebook buys online customer service startup Kustomer
Nov 30 2020
Facebook on Monday announced it is buying a startup specializing in helping businesses interact with customers online.
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Under-threat UK retailer Arcadia rejects emergency loan offer
Nov 30 2020
British clothing retail group and Topshop owner Arcadia, ravaged by coronavirus lockdowns and fierce online competition, …
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Bitcoin on record tear towards $20,000
Nov 30 2020
Top virtual currency bitcoin briefly soared to a new high Monday, heading towards $20,000 per unit.
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GM won't take stake in electric-truck startup Nikola
Nov 30 2020
General Motors terminated a transaction to take a stake in Nikola, but reached a preliminary agreement to supply its …
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Biden taps Janet Yellen as Treasury secretary
Nov 30 2020
US President-elect Joe Biden on Monday formally tapped ex-Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen to lead the Treasury, as he …
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OPEC begins meeting to mull extension of production cuts
Nov 30 2020
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to weigh on global oil demand, the OPEC oil producers' club on Monday began a …
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Stocks mostly drop as infections overshadow vaccine hopes
Nov 30 2020
Global equity markets mostly fell Monday as hopes that vaccines will soon be rolled out were overshadowed by concerns …
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Moderna requests US, Europe vaccine approvals after full results
Nov 30 2020
US firm Moderna said it would file requests for emergency authorization of its Covid-19 vaccine in the United States and …
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Moderna says will request US, Europe vaccine authorization Monday
Nov 30 2020
US firm Moderna said it would file requests for emergency authorization of its Covid-19 vaccine in the United States and …
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Unilever becomes wholly British company
Nov 30 2020
Consumer goods giant Unilever said Monday that it has become a wholly British company, completing a historic merger of …
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OPEC to discuss extension of output cuts beyond January
Nov 30 2020
The OPEC oil producers' club will meet virtually Monday to mull over an extension to production cuts as the coronavirus …
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Taiwan's GlobalWafers in talks to buy German rival Siltronic
Nov 30 2020
Taiwan's GlobalWafers, the world's third-largest maker of semiconductor wafers, confirmed Monday it is in advanced talks …
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Italy fines Apple 10 mn euros for water damage claims
Nov 30 2020
Italy's competition authority said Monday it had fined Apple 10 million euros ($12 million) for misleading claims about …
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Italian women hope post-virus recovery will bring change
Nov 30 2020
Whether through new nurseries or bridging the gender pay gap, many Italian women hope a post-pandemic recovery plan will …
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UK's Big Four auditors await shake-up as corruption probes add up
Nov 30 2020
Britain's audit sector, dominated by the so-called Big Four accountancy giants, is shortly expected to discover how it …
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Stocks drop as virus cases overshadow vaccine rollout hopes
Nov 30 2020
Equity markets fell Monday as hopes that vaccines will soon be rolled out were overshadowed by concerns over a pick-up …
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Owner of UK's Topshop facing collapse despite loan offer: BBC
Nov 30 2020
British clothing retailer Arcadia, ravaged by coronavirus lockdowns and fierce online competition, remains on the brink …
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Tokyo Stock Exchange CEO quits over October shutdown
Nov 30 2020
The head of the Tokyo Stock Exchange has stepped down after accepting responsibility for an unprecedented day-long …
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Asia stocks drop as virus cases overshadow vaccine roll-out hopes
Nov 30 2020
Asian markets fell Monday as hopes that vaccines will soon be rolled out were overshadowed by concerns over a pick-up in …
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China factory activity edges up in November: official data
Nov 30 2020
China's factory activity grew at its fastest pace in over three years in November, official data showed Monday, as the …
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How the Arab uprisings were weakened by online fakes
Nov 30 2020
The Arab uprisings a decade ago were supercharged by online calls to join the protests -- but the internet was soon …
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Arab Spring: the first smartphone revolution
Nov 30 2020
Social media and smartphones briefly gave youthful Arab Spring protesters a technological edge that helped topple ageing …
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Mexico braces for close trade scrutiny from Biden
Nov 30 2020
After years of fiery rhetoric from outgoing President Donald Trump, Mexico is bracing for more discreet but steadfast …
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Drive-ins, scattered huts: German Xmas markets find ways around virus
Nov 29 2020
Chestnuts roasting, mulled wine steaming and music blaring from wooden chalets lined with artificial snow -- the …
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Europe virus toll crosses 400,000, shops reopen in France
Nov 28 2020
Coronavirus deaths topped 400,000 Saturday in Europe, the world's second worst-hit region, as parts of the continent …
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UK's sole hydrogen car maker bets on green revolution
Nov 28 2020
Hydrogen-powered car manufacturer Riversimple is hoping to steal a march on competitors ahead of Britain's promised …
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Parts of Europe reopen stores, Los Angeles sees new virus curbs
Nov 28 2020
Parts of Europe will reopen stores on Saturday in time for the holiday season after progress in containing the …
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Sticking points as post-Brexit talks enter final phase
Nov 28 2020
Negotiations between Britain and Europe on their post-Brexit trade relationship are at a critical moment, with a deal …
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Mixed retailer optimism on 'Black Friday' amid pandemic
Nov 28 2020
The coronavirus is clouding "Black Friday" much as it has overshadowed 2020 in general, but some leading experts still …
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Germany hits million cases as Russia links up with India on vaccine
Nov 27 2020
Germany, once a beacon of hope in Europe's coronavirus nightmare, logged more than one million cases on Friday, while …
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Global stocks mostly rise as S&P, Nasdaq notch fresh records
Nov 27 2020
Major US stock indices drifted to fresh records Friday as markets continued to look past rising coronavirus cases toward …
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US Operation Warp Speed backed vaccines for whole world
Nov 27 2020
President Donald Trump's announcement in May of plans to develop a Covid-19 vaccine by year's end is near realization -- …
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Equities mostly higher heading into weekend
Nov 27 2020
Stock markets advanced Friday, even if activity was subdued owing to the absence of many traders in the United States, …
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Germany hits million cases as Russia links up with India for vaccine
Nov 27 2020
Germany, once a beacon of hope in Europe's coronavirus nightmare, logged its one millionth case on Friday, while Russia …
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UK to impose tougher rules on Google, Facebook
Nov 27 2020
Britain announced Friday it will set up a watchdog to regulate tech giants such as Facebook and Google, help protect …
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European equities mixed heading into weekend
Nov 27 2020
European stocks were mixed Friday, falling in London but rising in Frankfurt and Paris, with investor sentiment subdued …
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Tesla recalls 870 cars in China over defective roofs
Nov 27 2020
US electric car maker Tesla is recalling 870 vehicles in China over defective roofs, part of which could fall off, …
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China imposes anti-dumping measures on Australian wine
Nov 27 2020
China on Friday said it would impose anti-dumping tariffs on Australian wine, the latest salvo in an increasingly terse …
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Former Citgo oil executives jailed in Venezuela
Nov 27 2020
Six US-connected former oil company executives have been sentenced to between eight and 13 years in prison, Venezuela's …
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Asia markets extend rally into the weekend
Nov 27 2020
Asian markets maintained their upward momentum Friday, heading into the weekend on a strong note with investors …
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Germany hits million virus cases as vaccine doubt emerges
Nov 27 2020
Germany, once a beacon of hope in Europe's coronavirus nightmare, logged its one millionth case on Friday, as questions …
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