Germany’s 2021 election and why it matters to markets
It’s rare for German elections to be exciting, market-moving events but the one on Sept. 26 may prove the exception if its outcome completes the transformation of a nation long wedded to austerity into a big spender. The election will end Angela Merkel’s 16-year stint at the helm of Europe’s biggest economy, and the Greens […]
Bitcoin recoups some losses after Musk-triggered tumble
Bitcoin popped back above $50,000 in Asian trade on Thursday, clawing back some of the 17% plunge that followed Elon Musk’s tweet that Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) would stop accepting the digital tokens as payment for its cars. The price of the world’s largest cryptocurrency dropped from around $54,819 to $45,700, its lowest since March 1, in just under two […]
Top scientists question the need for COVID-19 booster shots
COVID-19 vaccine developers are making ever bolder assertions that the world will need yearly booster shots, or new vaccines to tackle concerning coronavirus variants, but some scientists question when, or whether, such shots will be needed. In interviews with Reuters, more than a dozen influential infectious disease and vaccine development experts said there is growing […]
When Biden meets Putin: old foes could cool off but not reset
The United States and Russia are lowering expectations for big breakthroughs at a superpower summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the adversaries in no mood to make concessions on their bitter disagreements. The summit details – location, time and agenda – are still being negotiated by the two sides […]
Top U.S. fuel pipeline recovering from devastating ransomware attack
After a six-day outage, the top U.S. fuel pipeline on Thursday moved some of the first millions of gallons of motor fuels to East Coast states after throwing off a crippling cyberattack. The Colonial Pipeline Co, which can carry 100 million gallons per day of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, resumed computer-controlled pumping after adding […]
More than 4,000 Indians die of COVID-19 for second straight day
India recorded more than 4,000 COVID-19 deaths for a second straight day on Thursday, while infections stayed below 400,000 for a fourth day, although the virus has become rampant in rural areas where cases can go unreported due to a lack of testing. Experts remain unsure when numbers will peak and concern is growing about […]
Taiwan proposes $7.5 bln in spending as domestic COVID-19 cases rise
Taiwan’s government proposed on Thursday an extraT$210 billion ($7.52 billion) in spending to help the economy deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, as it reported 13 new domestic cases amid a rare spike in infections that has spooked the stock market.
Italy fines Google $123 mln for abuse of dominant position
Italy’s competition watchdog said on Thursday it had fined Google (GOOGL.O) 102 million euros ($123 million) for abuse of its dominant position due to its Android mobile operating system and app store Google Play.
Digital coin ether hits record high as 2021 gains near 500%
Cryptocurrency ether hit a record high on Wednesday, taking gains this year to almost 500% on the back of a growing interest in decentralised finance applications and increasing institutional interest in cryptocurrencies.
U.S. removes Xiaomi from blacklist, reversing late China jab by Trump
The U.S Department of Defense will remove China’s Xiaomi Corp (1810.HK) from a government blacklist, a court filing showed, marking a noteworthy reversal by the Biden administration of one of Donald Trump’s last jabs at Beijing before exiting office. The filing stated that the two parties would agree to resolve their ongoing litigation without further contest, bringing […]
