LONDON — The U.K.’s competition regulator announced Thursday it’s starting an investigation into Facebook’s acquisition of popular GIF website Giphy, which is reportedly valued at $400 million. The Competition and Markets Authority said that it plans to launch the first phase of its probe on Friday, adding that it will issue a decision on whether it plans to take it […] Read more
President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated preexisting global problems and imbalances, and that these could deteriorate to a point where there is a fight of “all against all.” “The coronavirus pandemic has become a major challenge to mankind, and it has accelerated structural changes, the preconditions for which were […] Read more
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday called on coronavirus vaccine makers to deliver on their pledges to supply millions of doses to the bloc, and beyond. Her comments come amid an unprecedented challenge for the EU when it comes to the rollout of vaccines to each of the 27 member states. The […] Read more
Russia saw widespread protests against President Vladimir Putin at the weekend, with demonstrations involving tens of thousands of people and taking place in as many as 100 cities. Experts say the protests, mainly in support of arrested opposition leader Alexei Navalny but also attracting members of the public angry at corruption and injustices in Russia, could be more significant […] Read more
President Joe Biden has painted a bleak picture of the nation’s coronavirus outbreak in his first few days in office, warning that it will take months to turn around the pandemic’s trajectory and that fatalities are expected to dramatically rise over the next few weeks. “A lot of America is hurting. The virus is surging. We’re 400,000 […] Read more
In his first hours in the Oval Office, President-elect Joe Biden plans to sign more than a dozen executive orders to address challenges like the Covid pandemic and the student debt crisis. Biden’s orders will also work to reverse many of those issued by President Donald Trump, including the so-called Muslim travel ban and the construction of […] Read more
Netflix reported earnings for the fourth quarter of 2020 after the bell on Tuesday, announcing it is “very close” to being free cash flow positive and is considering stock buybacks. This year, it expects to be around break even on cash flow. The stock was up about 10% after hours. Here are the key numbers: Earnings per share (EPS): $1.19 […] Read more
The head of the World Health Organization said Monday the equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines is at “serious risk.” Warning of a “catastrophic moral failure,” WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “the recent emergence of rapidly-spreading variants makes the rapid and equitable rollout of vaccines all the more important.” But he added that this distribution […] Read more
Italy is embroiled in fresh political uncertainty at a time when it’s still struggling with the coronavirus pandemic and the impact on its highly-indebted economy. Critics have slammed what they call an “irresponsible” attitude by some political figures, who they believe are acting in their own personal interest. “I am very worried about the situation,” was […] Read more
LONDON — The science around the link between children and the spread of the coronavirus is still evolving, but a growing body of evidence suggests that kids attending school do play an important role in community transmission. The issue comes as the resurgent spread of Covid-19 has prompted most of Europe to adopt the strictest […] Read more
