China to let ride-hailing drivers, delivery workers form unions – Xinhua

NHL roundup: Canucks top Sharks, stay perfect under new coach

Downward spiral of new car registrations in Europe slows – ACEA

Omicron delivers another uncertain holiday season to pandemic-weary Americans

Tennis-Australian Open organisers confirm medical exemption process

Mexican financial council warns of ‘prolonged’ economic weakness

South Africa to donate 2 million J&J COVID-19 shots to African countries

Swimming-Haughey sets 200m freestyle short course world record

‘Sex and the City’ actor Chris Noth denies sexual assault accusations

Microsoft’s Bing suspends auto suggest function in China at government’s behest

NBA roundup: Kevin Durant leads COVID-struck Nets past 76ers

Tennis-Murray relishing Nadal reunion in Abu Dhabi

China’s Tsinghua Unigroup dismisses chairman’s criticism, defends restructuring plan

Japan core consumer inflation seen hitting 20-month high as price pass-through spread: Reuters poll

China reports 76 new COVID-19 cases on Dec 16 vs 77 a day earlier

Cricket – Thorpe defends England’s all-seam attack after tough day

China auto sales to hit 27.5 million in 2022, up 5.4% – industry body

China allows Tencent to publish app updates again after suspension

BoE hikes, Fed pivots, ECB rolls slow as pandemic exits diverge

Democrats dealt setback in bid to grant millions of migrants work permits

U.S. judge tosses $4.5 billion deal shielding Sacklers from opioid lawsuits

Beijing rule changes to revive China’s IPO prospects in 2022, bankers say

CDC recommends Moderna, Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines over J&J’s

BOJ decides to taper corporate debt buying, scale back pandemic-relief funding

Mitsubishi Corp names power business head Nakanishi as new president

Tennis-Del Potro eyeing February comeback at Argentina Open

Byron Leftwich early favorite to be Jags’ next coach

U.S. still undecided on further restricting China’s SMIC -sources

Kentucky survivors vow to rebuild ‘junkyard’ left by tornado

Pubs, parties push Australia’s COVID-19 cases to record levels

Australia’s NAB faces shareholder pressure over environmental credentials

Soccer-Horan named US ‘Female Player of the Year’

U.S. CFPB asks ‘buy-now, pay-later’ companies for data on products, practices

Biden administration asks U.S. Supreme Court to lift lower courts hold on vaccine mandate

China revises 2020 GDP growth down slightly to 2.2% y/y – stats bureau