Platform Executive

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Bitcoin surges to all-time record as 2020 rally powers on Bitcoin jumped to a record high against the dollar on Monday, as its 2020 rally steamed ahead, boosted by increased demand by both retail and institutional investors that watched the virtual currency as a safe-haven plus also a hedge against inflation. The electronic unit touched an all-time high of 19,864.15, breaking its prior record set nearly 3 years back. It was last up at just a touch over 6% at $19,306.35. Last Friday, however, bitcoin dropped more than 8%, under $17,000, before rebounding on Monday. Bitcoin entire has gained more than 170% this year, fuelled by a requirement for riskier assets amid unprecedented fiscal and monetary stimulus, hunger for assets perceived as resistant to inflation, and expectations which cryptocurrencies would win mainstream acceptance. "Bitcoin is a natural safe haven for those se...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Amnesty: Vietnam steps up online crackdown, jailed activists at record high The number of political prisoners in Vietnam has reached its highest on record, according to a tally from Amnesty International, which in a report has accused Facebook and Google of censorship from the Southeast Asian country. There are 170 "prisoners of conscience" in Vietnam, the report said, of which around 70 are serving prison conditions for internet activism, largely on Facebook and Google's YouTube . "Once the great hope for the expansion of freedom of expression in the country, social media platforms are fast becoming human rights--free zones, where any peaceful dissent or criticism of the Vietnamese government is liable to be censored," the report stated. The present number of prisoners of conscience in Vietnam is the greatest that London-based Amnesty has reported as it bega...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Cyber Monday set to be biggest online shopping day in American history Cyber Monday was established to garner up to $12.7 billion in online sales, according to industry estimates, surpassing Black Friday's digital numbers as American retailers enter the final lap of an protracted holiday selling season. Advertisers have awarded shoppers almost two weeks of offers since Amazon.com maintained its Prime Day in October, as they sought to become more competitive and recoup the sales lost in this year's coronavirus-driven closures of malls and other stores. Latest quotes from Adobe Analytics revealed this year's decision to Thanksgiving weekend promotions would, nevertheless, be the largest online sales day in history, with paying between $10.8 billion and $12.7 billion. Despite discounts beginning much sooner and more broadly this year, Adobe's poll showed that 56% of cu...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Amazon and Apple stay away from French initiative for Big Tech Amazon and Apple have not signed up to a brand new French initiative to get global tech firms to publicly commit to fundamentals including paying their fair share of taxes, government officials said on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron has hunted for the past three years to cajole tech giants into collaborating with authorities on a string of global challenges such as fighting hate speech on line, preserving solitude or contributing into state coffers. Amid a public outcry about tech teams' good fortunes during the coronavirus pandemic this year, Macron's advisers said that the president had asked tech companies to sign up to a new initiative called "Tech for Good Call" underlining principles for the post-COVID world. The French government released a list of 75 executives of tech companies that h...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: DoorDash aims to double valuation in much-awaited IPO DoorDash Inc said on Monday it's aiming to raise up to $2.8 billion in an IPO, which could double the worth of their US food delivery start-up and also be one of 2020's biggest public market debuts. DoorDash, the biggest US third-party delivery company for restaurants, intends to market 33 million shares priced between $75 and $85 apiece, it stated in a regulatory filing. At the very top of its target range, the IPO would provide DoorDash a totally diluted valuation - which includes securities such as options and restricted stock units - of $31.96 billion, nearly twice the $16 billion DoorDash was worth at a June personal fundraising round. DoorDash's market capitalization at $85 per share would total $27 billion. The hefty leap in DoorDash's valuation in a matter of months underscores the increased demand for mea...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: President Trump to add China’s SMIC and CNOOC to defence blacklist The Trump administration is poised to include China's leading chipmaker SMIC and federal offshore gas and oil producer CNOOC into a blacklist of alleged Chinese military companies, according to a record and sources, curbing their access to US investors and escalating tensions with Beijing. Reuters reported earlier this month that the Department of Defence was intending to designate four Chinese firms as owned or controlled by the Chinese army, bringing the number of Chinese firms affected to 35. A recent executive order issued by President Donald Trump would stop US investors from buying securities of the listed businesses beginning late next year. It was not immediately apparent when the new tranche, would be printed in the Federal Register. However, the list comprises China Construction Technology Co Ltd and Chi...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: UK bans new Huawei 5G kit installation from September 2021 British telecommunications businesses should not install new Huawei 5G kit following September 2021, the British government has said, as part of a plan to purge the Chinese business's equipment from high speed mobile networks. Britain has ordered all Huawei equipment to be eliminated from its 5G system by the end of 2027, falling in line with intelligence allies such as the US who say the firm poses security risks. China has criticised this choice, while Huawei said last week it was disappointed Britain was seeking to exclude it from the 5G roll-out following the publication of new legislation that could see firms fined 100,000 pounds (approximately $133,140) if they violate the ban. Monday's announcement comes ahead of a debate over new telecoms legislation in parliament and fleshes out the deadline for gear remova...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Sources: Alibaba and Tencent put talks to buy iQIYI stake on hold Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd have every held separate talks with Baidu Inc to obtain a controlling stake in movie streaming service iQIYI Inc, people with knowledge of the matter told journalists at our partner news agency Reuters. However, the talks have stalled with very little hope of recommencing soon because they shout in a valuation of about $20 billion required by Baidu and as both companies, that have their own video streaming services, face heightened scrutiny by China's antitrust regulators, two people said. Another Chinese technology giant, TikTok owner ByteDance has also internally looked at the potential for acquiring a controlling stake in iQIYI, three sources have said. Considered China's equal to Netflix Inc, Nasdaq-listed iQIYI includes a market capitalisation of $16.4 ...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Bezos and Ambani gun for India retail supremacy Jeff Bezos and Mukesh Ambani, two of the world's richest men, face a turning point in a struggle for pre-eminence in India's flourishing, nearly trillion-dollar retail market. The results of a legal dispute that has embroiled the billionaires' Amazon.com and Reliance Industries empires - where a court ruling is imminent - may shape India's retail landscape for years to come. Accusations of insider trading and contractual breaches, as well as nationalistic cries to keep the US giant at bay, mark the high-stakes fight, which has snowballed from what began as a dispute between Amazon and Future. If Amazon succeeds, it may slow Reliance's plans to expand its e-commerce and brick-and-mortar operations. If Amazon loses, its hopes of expanding its interests in India's second-largest retailer and cashing in on its key g...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Facebook’s Libra is to launch as early as January but scaled back The Switzerland-based Libra Association which will issue and regulate Libra intends to launch a single electronic coin backed by the buck, the FT newspaper has said. The move would represent an even bigger scaling-back of the project's ambitions than that proposed in April in response to your regulatory and political backlash against the project. Libra, unveiled by Facebook Inc this past year, was relaunched in slimmed-down form after regulators and central banks across the world raised concerns it may upset monetary equilibrium and hamper mainstream power over money. The Libra Association, of which Facebook is one of 27 members, is seeking the go-ahead out of Switzerland's markets watchdog to issue a series of stablecoins backed by individual traditional currencies, as well as a token depending on the curren...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Huawei founder urges Honor subbrand to become a competitor post split Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei called on employees of its own departing Honor sub-brand to strive to surpass its parent in a farewell address as the tech giant sells the funding brand to keep its sanction-hobbled supply chains alive. Huawei Technologies said earlier this month it would sell Honor to a different thing called Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology, made up of its own representatives and dealers, so that it might resume sourcing components currently limited by US sanctions. The US government says Huawei Technologies is a national security threat, a claim the company denies. "Wave after wave of severe US sanctions against Huawei has led us to finally understand, certain American politicians want to kill us, not just correct us," Ren said, according to a speech posted on a Huawei worker for...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: UK to curb Google and Facebook with tougher competition rules The United Kingdom will impose a new competition regime from next year in order to attempt to stop Google and Facebook with their dominance to push out smaller companies and disadvantage consumers. The code is going to be enforced by a dedicated unit within the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which this year said it had new laws to help keep the tech giants in check. Google and Facebook dominate digital advertising, accounting for around 80% of 14 billion pounds spent 2019, Britain's competition regulator the CMA explained. The two US companies have said they are committed to working together with the British government and regulator on electronic advertising, such as giving users better control over their data and the ads they are served. While "unashamedly pro-tech", Britain's Digital Secre...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: UN decries police use of racial profiling derived from Big Data Authorities and border guards have to fight racial profiling and be sure that their usage of "big data" gathered via artificial intelligence does not reinforce biases against minorities, United Nations experts has said. Businesses that sell algorithmic profiling systems to public entities and private companies, frequently used in screening job applicants, should be regulated to prevent misuse of personal data that perpetuates prejudices, they stated. And that's the danger of it," Verene Shepherd, a member of this UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, told journalists at our partner news agency Reuters. "We've heard about companies using these algorithmic methods to discriminate on the basis of skin colour," she added, speaking from Jamaica. Shepherd, a historian, dir...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Crypto exchange Coinbase hit by connection problems as bitcoin plummets Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has said its retail and professional-focused platforms have been hit by tech issues, with customers reporting problem trading as bitcoin plunged towards its biggest one-fifth fall since September. California-based Coinbase said on its website at 14:14 GMT it was investigating connectivity difficulties, adding at 14:42 GMT it had identified the issue and implemented a solution. In another article at 15:21 GMT on its Coinbase Pro site it said "increased latencies impacting order entry and settlement" because of its Coinbase Pro support, adding it had been investigating the problem. A spokesman for Coinbase, one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, declined to comment. Coinbase users Twitter reported issues trading. At this time the order finally went through but I...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Polish e-commerce group Allegro to pilot own parcel lockers Polish e-commerce stage Allegro is likely to pilot its own delivery lockers, its chief financial officer said on Thursday, after reporting third-quarter outcomes and raising its entire year profit advice. Polish media has speculated that Allegro plans to purchase InPost, which has a network of parcel lockers where customers can collect their purchases out of Allegro's online service. He said no decision had been taken on what would happen after the pilot. He declined to comment on the InPost speculation. Allegro, which listed in Warsaw back in October, said it was targeting an increase in gross product value of slightly over 50% for the entire year and much more than 20% to get corrected core profit. Shares in Allegro were down 4.5% at 1004 GMT. MBank analyst Pawel Szpigiel said the market might have been expecting mor...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: France orders tech giants to pay digital tax France's finance ministry has sent out notices to large tech companies liable for its own digital service tax to pay the levy as planned in December, the ministry has said. France suspended collection of the tax, that will hit companies like Facebook and Amazon, early this year while negotiations were underway in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) within an overhaul of worldwide tax rules. The finance ministry has long said it will collect the tax in December as intended if the talks proved unfruitful after that, and that's what happened when the nearly 140 countries involved agreed last month to keep negotiating until mid 2021. "Companies subject to the tax have received their notice to pay the 2020 instalment," a ministry official said. France last year applied a 3% levy on revenue from ...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Salesforce in talks to acquire workplace app Slack Cloud-based software company Salesforce.com is currently in discussions to acquire workplace messaging app Slack Technologies since it seeks to expand its own offerings to businesses, individuals knowledgeable about the matter has said. Salesforce's bid comes as Slack struggles to fully capitalize on the switch to remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic at the face of fierce opposition from Microsoft Corp's Teams and other office apps Slack shares finished trading Tuesday at $29.57, well below the $42 high they attained on their first day of trading this past year. Salesforce Inc sees the potential acquisition as a logical expansion of its business offerings, the sources said. The price it was offering for Slack could not be learned, though one of those sources said Salesforce would pay cash for the deal, rather than sim...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: Amazon’s cloud service sees widespread outage Amazon.com Inc's widely utilized cloud assistance, Amazon Web Services (AWS), is experiencing a large scale outage, the business said on Wednesday, affecting users ranging from sites to software providers. It has also influenced the ability to post updates to its service health dashboard, the company said. We are working toward resolution," an AWS spokesperson said in a statement. Amazon Kinesis, part of its own cloud offerings, gathers, processes and analyzes real-time data and offers insights. Video-streaming device maker Roku Inc, Adobe's Spark platform, photo hosting website Flickr and the Baltimore Sun paper were one of those hit by the outage, based on their own recent articles on Twitter. "We are experiencing intermittent issues with our website and publishing system because of the AWS outage," the paper...

The full version of the article, along with thousands like it, can be found on the following page: India import hurdles hit Apple iPhone, Xiaomi devices from China India's tight control of quality clearances for electronic products from China slowed the import of Apple's brand new iPhone version a month and held up other goods made by companies like Xiaomi, according to two industry sources. Applications to this quality control service, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), typically utilized to be processed in 15 days, but some are now taking up to two months or longer. BIS began regretting approvals in August to get China-made imports of devices such as smartphones, smartwatches and laptops, part of the fallout from forging connections with China after a border conflict in June that left 20 Indian soldiers dead. Considering that the clash India has tightened rules for investments from China and banned countless Chinese mobile apps, such as from tech giants Tencent , Ali...