Bitcoin's value has skyrocketed in recent years, shaking off its “underground” image and attracting the attention of big investors, including the likes of Tesla.

Tesla has had its driver assist feature for quite some time now, but last year it released a raw version of its future system for a limited number of owners to try out.

The news comes amid renewed trade tensions between the two economic and tech powerhouses, which forced the Dutch semiconductor firm to restrict sales to the mainland.

When Joe Biden won the November 2020 election, one of the questions on everyone's lips was whether the new president would usher in an era of electric vehicles (EV) in the US. His $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan that includes $174 billion for EVs and charging stations came as a response. But are Americans ready to go all-electric?

Multiple industries, from restaurants to movie theaters, have been feeling the economic pressures brought on by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and are being forced to shutter their businesses. One estimate puts the number of restaurants closed since the beginning of the pandemic at over 100,000.

The new proposal, pushed by a legislator in the northwestern US state of Washington, would target four of the publicly known about wealthiest people on Earth, including Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, current Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott. All four call Washington their home state.

Bitcoin has been booming since last year, with the cryptocurrency making another record after surging over $62,500 this week.

Earlier, the market ‘breathed a sigh of relief’ in the wake of solid demand for a 30-year bond auction on Tuesday, flattening the curve of US Treasury yields, which were also pushed lower after consumer prices data allayed fears of underlying inflation rising wildly.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The International Energy Agency (IEA) upgraded the forecast for oil demand growth by 230,000 barrels a day to 5.7 million barrels a day (mbd), but noted that the post-COVID recovery remained fragile.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, a French multinational corporation that leads the world’s luxury goods market, said on Tuesday it had registered a 32-% revenue increase in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period of 2020, which means the company returned to growth after a decline related to the pandemic.

The same group made several previous attempts to stop the Russian-Western European energy project. In February, a report issued by the group prompted the Bundestag to summon Germany’s vice chancellor over allegations that he offered to commit a billion euros to the construction of LNG infrastructure if Washington dropped its sanctions.

The US has threatened to pile new sanctions on Russia over a range of pretexts, including Moscow’s alleged role in the SolarWinds hack, election meddling, rising tensions in Ukraine, and more. On Monday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged Russia to continue to expand non-dollar trade, and to abandon Western-controlled payment systems.

The Republicans are unnerving their political opponents by throwing cold water on Joe Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure initiative. While the Democratic leadership is rushing to adopt the "once-in-a-generation" plan as soon as possible, the GOP is attempting to put the breaks on it. What's behind the Republicans' 'stubbornness'?

Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency, hit a fresh record high above $62,124 on 13 April, according to trading data.

TORONTO (Sputnik) - Air Canada and the federal government have struck a deal that will see the country’s flag carrier be given access of up to $4.68 billion in liquidity through a federal COVID-19 stimulus program for large businesses, the airliner said.

The China-US trade war, Bitcoin mining, the coronavirus pandemic, a series of environmental disasters and other global problems have led to global shortages of microchips going in everything from smartwatches to cars.

According to the shock report, South Korea authorities enforce strict rules on insider trading and can seek legal action against suspected offenders. The announcement comes as a heavy blow as both Hyundai and Apple seek to expand in the automotive market via the connected car industry.

Numerous regions in the global semiconductor production chain had helped the industry to promote continuous innovations and reduce costs to benefit global enterprises and consumers, but problems had begun to worsen amid the ongoing chip shortage, a top exec from the world's largest telecoms firm has said.

China began a trial run of its new digital yuan, or e-yuan, last year, with the blockchain-based central bank currency formally envisioned as a tool to replace cash, combat currency-based crime and make transactions cheaper and easier.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Messaging app Telegram has started preparations for an initial public offering (IPO), which can be launched within two years, Russia's Vedomosti newspaper reported on Monday, citing sources.