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Eco/Invest/Demography

Philips buys American cardiac care company BioTelemetry in $2.8 billion deal

Once a sprawling conglomerate, Philips has become purely focused on healthcare after spinning off its lighting and consumer electronics divisions in recent years.
“The acquisition of BioTelemetry fits perfectly with our strategy to be a leading provider of patient care management solutions for the hospital and the home”, Philips Chief Executive Frans van Houten said.

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Canada records 20-year high in outbound insurance M&A

International deals in insurers involving Canadian investors rose to $11.6 billion in 2020, the highest in at least two decades, according to data from Refinitiv.

That places Canadian investors as the third biggest investors in insurance deals, behind the UK and the United States, according to the data. Last year, Canadian investors were the fifth largest in the space.

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Cyber technology shares soar as security attacks pile up

“This news increases the awareness in regards to the federal government’s susceptibility to cyber attacks from Russia and other foreign entities,” said Daniel Morgan, portfolio manager at Synovus Trust in Atlanta.

Morgan added that technology security companies are “all perceived to benefit from an increase in spending and awareness” he expects will happen as the U.S. government looks to prevent future hacks.

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SC directs states to carry out fire safety audit of dedicated COVID-19 hospitals

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said hospitals whose fire NOC has expired will have to get it renewed within four weeks. The top court said all the states will follow COVID-19 guidelines, including on wearing of face mask and adherence to social distancing measures, and the standard operating procedure issued by the competent authority.

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US nuclear weapons agency hacked in massive cybersecurity breach

The attack on Department of Energy has affirmed that the hackers were able to access the networks of the US national security enterprise.

The hackers are believed to have gained access to the federal agencies’ networks by compromising the software company SolarWinds, which sells IT management products to hundreds of governments and private-sector clients, POLITICO opined.

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‘Covid vax must prevent infection, progression and transmission’

“It is possible that the first vaccines, including those being released now, maybe more effective in preventing disease progression and hospitalisation and less effective in preventing transmission,” explained study senior author Jeremy Farrar from SAGE.

“Knowledge of their performance in pre-approval trials and in surveillance trials after licensure will enable further modifications such that improved second and third-generation vaccines may be available later in 2021 and beyond,” Farrar added.

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