International News

Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine effective against new strain, fresh study shows
The Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is capable of neutralising the strain of the novel coronavirus detected in the UK, a new study confirmed.

UBS under pressure as probe into CEO still pending
Swiss bank UBS remains under pressure as a Dutch investigation into its chief executive officer, Ralph Hamers, and the role that he may have played in a money laundering scandal at his previous employer was still pending.

WHO chief welcomes EU proposal for pandemic preparedness treaty
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed on Wednesday a proposal from the European Council to negotiate a global treaty on pandemic preparedness.

EU antitrust probe looks into Google's advertising practices
EU antitrust regulators have requested information from advertisers regarding Google’s practices in the advertising technology space.

Morgan Stanley flies past Q4 estimates after year of acquisitions
Morgan Stanley beat Wall Street's estimates for its fourth quarter, capping a record year for the lender which saw it acquire ETrade and Eaton Vance.

Alibaba shares rebound as founder resurfaces after three months
Alibaba’s founder Jack Ma resurfaced after a three month hiatus from public appearances, speaking to 100 rural teachers through a video call, which sent stock in his company more than 8% higher on Wednesday on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

US pre-open: Stocks called to open higher ahead of Biden inauguration
Wall Street futures had stocks opening higher ahead of the bell on Wednesday prior to president-elect Joe Biden's inauguration later in the day.

Brexit has led to loss of 2,500 British finance jobs and €170bn moving to France
Britain’s exit from the European Union is the cause of 2,500 finance jobs and €170bn in assets moving to France, said the governor of the Bank of France on Wednesday.

Iran urges Biden to return to 2015 nuclear deal
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged US President-elect Joe Biden on the day of his inauguration to return to the 2015 nuclear deal and to lift the sanctions on the Middle Eastern country.

Europe close: Shares dip, single currency finds a bid
European shares finished lower on Tuesday, despite upbeat earnings reports and positive remarks on US stimulus measures by US Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen.

FedEx Express announces 6,300 layoffs in Europe
FedEx Corp’s express unit announced a plan on Tuesday to lay off between 5,500 and 6,300 employees in its European branch.

ByteDance launches mobile payment service Duoyin Pay
Beijing-based ByteDance launched its third-party payment service Douyin Pay on Tuesday as part of its foray into the e-commerce space in China.

US Covid-19 infections drop sharply
The number of new novel coronavirus infections in the US dropped sharply at the start of the week.

Office Depot parent rejects Staples takeover bid, open to alternative deals
US retailer Office Depot rejected an unsolicited takeover offer from competitor Staples on Tuesday but stated that it was willing to discuss an alternative deal.

Goldman Sachs shares hit record high after blowing doors off Q4 estimates
Goldman Sachs blew the doors off estimates from Wall Street analysts for its fourth quarter results, propelling the shares to a fresh all-time high.

Lumentum to buy laser maker Coherent in $5.7bn deal
Lumentum said on Tuesday that it has agreed to buy California-based laser maker Coherent in a cash and share deal valued at $5. 7bn, sending shares in the latter surging in pre-market trade.

EU clears path for Boeing's 737 Max to resume flying
Boeing’s troubled 737 Max airplane could return to the skies by this summer, the European Union’s air safety regulator has indicated.

German inflation weighed down by VAT cut
Inflation rose only marginally in Germany across 2020, weighed down by the temporary reduction in sales tax and a slump energy prices, official data confirmed on Tuesday.

Bank of America beats Q4 profit estimates as loan loss provisions fall
Bank of America's earnings topped analysts' forecasts despite the lender's shrinking topline as loan loss provisions slowed.

German investor sentiment improves in January
German investor sentiment improved more than expected in January despite the Covid-19 crisis, according to the latest survey from the ZEW Center for European Economic Research in Mannheim.
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