Quebec City police arrest suspect in connection with double homicide - Montreal Gazette

The suspect was arrested Friday in connection with an assault and forcible confinement that occurred two days before the killings.

Author of the article:

La Presse Canadienne

Quebec City police cars. Photo by ANNE-SOPHIE THILL /AFP via Getty Images files

Article content

A 34-year-old man is facing charges in connection with a double homicide committed Dec. 8 in a rooming house in Quebec City’s Charlesbourg district, police announced on Wednesday.

Article content

In a statement, Quebec City police said a man was arrested Friday, Dec. 10, in connection with an assault and forcible confinement that occurred Dec. 6, two days before the homicides. He was charged and remains in custody.

Police said the man had been considered a suspect in connection with the killings from the moment their investigation began.

The bodies of Stéphane Deschênes and Mario Anctil, both 51, were discovered by firefighters as they fought a blaze that had been deliberately set the a rooming house, police said.

The nature of the charges related to the killings have yet to be finalized. The suspect is expected to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.

Adblock test (Why?)

Quebec City police arrest suspect in connection with double homicide - Montreal Gazette
Read More

3 Growth Stocks that Could Double in 2022 - Motley Fool

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies that are well positioned with digital tools or that deliver mainly online services have generally performed better than brick-and-mortar ones. Some have even thrived during the downturn because of a sharp surge in online activity caused by border closures and stay-at-home orders. Popular sectors that received a boost include cloud computing, social media, online payments, and software-as-a-service (SaaS).

Many of the companies that benefited from telecommuting and the online shift can still do well next year as these trends should persist. Human habits have been permanently altered by the convenience and ease of working and communicating online, and this practice looks here to stay. These tailwinds should sustain into 2022 and help these businesses to grow both their top and bottom lines.

Here are three stocks with attractive characteristics that could perform spectacularly in the New Year.

Image source: Getty Images.

Adobe

Adobe ( ADBE 0.18% ) is well known for its portable document format (PDF) that is widely used by both individuals and businesses. The SaaS company has displayed steady growth in subscription revenue from its fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 2020. Over this period, subscription revenue increased from $7.6 billion to $11.6 billion and its proportion of total revenue has also jumped from 84.2% to 90.3%. The momentum has carried into 2021 with revenue for the first nine months of this year rising by 23.6% year over year to $11.7 billion. Subscription revenue took up 92.2% of total revenue for the period, underscoring the increasing importance of subscription sales in driving Adobe's total revenue. Ultimately, net income climbed by 19.2% year over year to $3.6 billion.

Adobe's main cloud offerings, namely digital cloud and document cloud, continue to attract customers who use its myriad tools to improve their workflow and collaborate. The company's electronic signature feature and expansive range of digital pictures, videos, and audio files also endear it to companies that rely on these features for agreement authentication and design work, respectively. Adobe also taps artificial intelligence with Adobe Sensei, a tool that integrates with its Experience Cloud service to enable better marketing outcomes for customers.

With a strong brand name and continuous and innovative enhancements to its slate of cloud services, Adobe should continue to garner more clients and grow its subscription base further. With a stronger base of customers and ongoing digital adoption, coupled with its robust software-as-a-service model of landing and expanding, Adobe stands a great chance of doubling next year.

MercadoLibre

MercadoLibre ( MELI -1.25% ) is one of the largest e-commerce and online payment platforms in Latin America. The company was already growing steadily before the pandemic broke out but saw its growth accelerate during the crisis. In 2020, gross merchandise volume (GMV) and total payment volume (TPV) jumped by 49.5% and 75.9% year over year to $20.9 billion and $49.8 billion, respectively. These numbers indicated the popularity of MercadoLibre's platforms as more customers went online and used its services to order goods and make online payments.

The latest quarter's earnings demonstrate that growth shows no signs of abating. GMV jumped by 24% year over year to $7.3 billion while TPV surged by 44% year over year to $20.9 billion. Revenue and net income also chalked up an impressive performance in tandem with the increase in these operating metrics. Net revenue for the first nine months of 2021 surged by 86.6% year over year to $4.9 billion while net income more than doubled from $152.8 million to $417.4 million. 

MercadoLibre has reported a growing user base and higher levels of engagement, while satisfaction rates are also increasing as the company increases its product assortment and improves its shipping service levels. Now, MercadoLibre is working with venture capital firm Kaszek to create a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that can find a suitable Latin American technology company to go public. It's one of the many ways that the company intends to diversify its sources of investments and revenue streams to prepare itself for the future.

As the company solidifies its position as the top e-commerce firm in Latin America, it will generate a strong network effect that will draw more vendors and customers to it, thereby further increasing its user base. The acceleration in its GMV and TPV should supercharge its revenue and earnings, giving Mercadolibre a high probability of doubling in 2022.

Alphabet

Alphabet ( GOOGL -0.91% ) ( GOOG -1.05% ) is the owner of the most popular search engine in the world, Google, and offers a plethora of services including YouTube, Google Cloud, and Google Maps. The technology behemoth was already growing steadily before the pandemic, with total revenue increasing from $136.8 billion in 2018 to $182.5 billion in 2020. Net income improved by 17.3% year over year in 2020.

The pandemic caused a sharp surge in Alphabet's revenue for the third quarter. Revenue jumped by 41% year over year to $65.1 billion while net income surged by 68.4% year over year. The company saw broad-based revenue growth across all its services as companies and individuals tapped its network and cloud services.

Alphabet continues to deepen its product offerings, with its cybersecurity products seeing strong demand as more businesses and schools adopt hybrid work. Its powerful analytics and artificial intelligence tools are being used by a multitude of clients who incorporate them into their product and service offerings, driving deeper customer engagement and leading to more successful marketing campaigns.

These services are just a snapshot of what Alphabet offers, and as digitalization continues to reach new geographies, the company should see its search engine being used more often, thereby attracting higher advertising revenue. Although Alphabet is moving close to becoming a $2 trillion company, history shows that it had doubled once, from December 2019 to December 2021, and I believe it has the chance to do so again.

With tailwinds from the pandemic and a surge in digital adoption, Alphabet has stunned many with its rapid top and bottom-line growth. This may just be the tip of the iceberg as its search engine and cloud service penetrate more deeply into more industries and new countries, cementing its dominance in the new normal and jumping ahead of the competition. And even if it does not double, I think Alphabet's stock should at least provide an impressive double-digit percentage gain as earnings catapult ahead.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. We’re motley! Questioning an investing thesis – even one of our own – helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

Adblock test (Why?)

3 Growth Stocks that Could Double in 2022 - Motley Fool
Read More

Durant drops 14th career triple-double to help 8-man Nets overcome Raptors in OT - CBC Sports

Patty Mills made a 3 to force overtime, Kevin Durant had 34 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Toronto Raptors 131-129 on Tuesday night.

Durant was upgraded from questionable just before the game because Brooklyn has seven players in the NBA's health and safety protocol, including starters James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre' Bembry. He responded to the last-minute add with his 14th triple-double of his career.

"I felt like it was something I could play on, so I knew I was going to play this morning," Durant said. "I hate that my teammates are out. I wish everybody was playing."

Brooklyn won its third straight, with Mills adding 30 points. It was the fourth career 30-point game in Mills' career, and his first since Nov. 1, 2019, when he was a member of the San Antonio Spurs. The Nets also got 17 from Kessler Edwards, 16 from Nic Claxton and 13 from Blake Griffin before he fouled out in overtime.

The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Toronto (12-15). Fred VanVleet led the Raptors with 31. Gary Trent Jr. and Pascal Siakam each finished with 25.

"We know how good of a team we can be when we are clicking and doing what we are supposed to do," Siakam said. "Every time we haven't done that in season we pay for it."

WATCH | Durant dazzles leading undermanned Nets past Raptors in OT:

Durant leads Nets to overtime victory over Raptors

11 hours ago

Duration 1:37

Brooklyn defeats Toronto 131-129, Kevin Durant scores game-high 34 points. 1:37

Scottie Barnes had 23, but missed what would have been a game-winning, buzzer-beating 3 in overtime.

"I feel like we're right there as a team," Barnes said. "We'll get this thing really going as a unit."

Trailing by 10 entering the third quarter, Toronto outscored Brooklyn 44-25 to take a 100-91 advantage going into the fourth. But Brooklyn outscored Toronto 26-11 over the first 7:18 of the fourth quarter, regaining the lead, 109-108, on a Mills 3 with 7:12 left. Another Mills 3 from the left side with 4:43 left extended the lead to 117-111.

It didn't last. Barnes knocked down two 3s to tie the game, and Trent made a 3 with 1:21 left to give the Raptors a 120-117 lead. That held until Mills' 3 with 13 seconds left forced overtime.

"I like how we responded throughout the whole game," Durant said. "Hitting them first and taking their punch — 44-25 in the third — then turning it up in the fourth quarter and overtime, man. ... I'm so proud to just be a part of this group and play with these young dudes.

"Man, it was amazing to be out there."

Nets overcome several absences

The Nets only had enough remaining players to take the court against the Raptors because Durant played.

"It's unfortunate for sure," Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said before the game. About a half-hour after he had finished — and an hour before the opening tip — the team announced Harden and Brown had been placed into COVID-19 protocols.

"First we concern ourselves with their health and safety. Fortunately for us, they're predominantly asymptomatic but there will be a period of time required for them to test negative [before we can] have our full group available again."

Nash also said "a couple coaches [and] a couple staff [members]" had been placed in protocols.

"We're not naive enough to not have concerns about more people contracting the virus, but that's out of our hands," Nash said. "Overall, we can't do a lot right now except wait for results to come in and control what's in our hands."

The Nets have been playing short-handed all season after Kyrie Irving refused to get vaccinated, which ruled him out for home games because of a New York City vaccine mandate. The team decided not to let him play solely in road games.

The NBA postponed two Chicago Bulls games this week because 10 of their players were in health and safety protocols.

Adblock test (Why?)

Durant drops 14th career triple-double to help 8-man Nets overcome Raptors in OT - CBC Sports
Read More

Morris has double-double as Clippers beat Suns in West finals rematch - Sportsnet.ca

LOS ANGELES -- Marcus Morris had season highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Los Angeles Clippers to a 111-95 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night in the teams' first meeting since the Western Conference finals.

The Suns defeated the Clippers in six games last season to reach the NBA Finals, where they lost to Milwaukee. Phoenix has kept up the momentum this season, leading the West with a 21-5 record.

It wasn't quite the rematch from the playoffs, with both teams missing their stars. The Suns were without Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker, while Paul George and Kawhi Leonard sat out for the Clippers.

"It definitely didn't feel like that," Morris said of Monday's game compared to last spring's playoffs.

Morris had his first double-double since joining the Clippers in February 2020.

"Throughout my career, anytime I have a big rebounding game, I'm scoring the ball," he said.

Reggie Jackson added 19 points and Terance Mann had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers, who won their fourth in a row.

"We're just getting contributions from all of our guys," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. "Our whole team did a good job of just chipping in."

Cam Johnson led Phoenix with 17 points off the bench. Mikal Bridges added 16 points. Chris Paul was held to nine points and eight assists against his former team.

"Against CP, we tried to slow him down and give him different looks," Lue said. "To slow him down a little bit was huge for us."

The Suns' only lead came on the game's first basket by Jae Crowder. They missed 12 of 13 shots at the start while the Clippers built a 10-point lead. Crowder and JaVale McGee picked up two fouls apiece in the first quarter.

Phoenix was in pursuit the rest of the way. The Suns missed 60 of 96 shots from the field.

"We were out of rhythm all night. We just couldn't knock down shots," Suns coach Monty Williams said. "If you're missing shots, you're playing in transition a lot."

The Clippers outscored the Suns 15-6 to start the fourth, building a 19-point lead. Five different players scored, highlighted by Mann's one-handed jam, Isaiah Hartenstein's floater and Luke Kennard's 3-pointer.

Paul was called for an offensive foul and a technical in the second shortly before Crowder and McGee earned their third fouls apiece. Crowder finished with six points and four fouls. McGee had 13 points and 13 rebounds.

The Clippers extended their lead to 15 points late in the second. They sank 5 of 6 free throws down the stretch to go up 56-44 at halftime.

LA opened the third with a 10-5 spurt, bookended by dunks from Ivica Zubac, for a 17-point lead.

The Suns cut their deficit to 10 points a handful of times but trailed 79-69 going into the fourth.

TIP-INS

Suns: Ayton and Jalen Smith sat out because of non-COVID-19 illnesses. ... Booker remained out with a strained left hamstring. ... They fell to 5-1 in the first game of back-to-backs.

Clippers: Longest winning streak of season since they won seven straight last month. ... George missed his third straight game because of a right elbow contusion. ... Serge Ibaka earned his third DNP in a row due to a coach's decision.

UP NEXT

Suns: Visit Portland on Tuesday to complete the road back-to-back.

Clippers: Visit Utah on Wednesday in the first of a two-game trip.

Adblock test (Why?)

Morris has double-double as Clippers beat Suns in West finals rematch - Sportsnet.ca
Read More

Omicron can hit the double vaccinated, Oxford study says, as UK prepares for 'tidal wave' of cases - CNBC

Jakub Porzycki | NurPhoto | Getty Images

LONDON — Two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines are substantially less effective at warding off omicron compared to previous variants of the coronavirus, scientists have found.

However, the researchers were optimistic that a booster shot would improve immunity against the new, highly transmissible variant.

In a new study announced on Monday, researchers from the University of Oxford tested blood samples of people 28 days after their second dose of either vaccine.

When omicron was introduced to those samples, scientists reported "a substantial fall" in the neutralizing antibodies that fight off Covid compared to the immune responses seen against earlier variants.

The research paper noted that some vaccine recipients "failed to neutralize [the virus] at all."

"This will likely lead to increased breakthrough infections in previously infected or double vaccinated individuals, which could drive a further wave of infection, although there is currently no evidence of increased potential to cause severe disease, hospitalization or death," the study's authors said.

The pre-print study, which is yet to be peer reviewed, was published on the MedRxiv server.

Gavin Screaton, head of Oxford University's Medical Sciences Division and lead author of the paper, said in a press release on Monday that the findings should "press home the message that those who are offered booster vaccination should take it."

"Whilst there is no evidence for increased risk of severe disease, or death, from the virus amongst vaccinated populations, we must remain cautious, as greater case numbers will still place a considerable burden on healthcare systems," he warned.

"Vaccination induces many arms of our immune system, including neutralizing antibodies and T-cells," added co-author Teresa Lambe, a professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford.

"Real-world effectiveness data has shown us that vaccines continue to protect against severe disease with previous variants of concern. The best way to protect us going forward in this pandemic is by getting vaccines in arms."

A report published by the U.K.'s Health Security Agency on Friday estimated that two doses of a Covid vaccine were significantly less effective at preventing symptomatic disease through infection from the omicron variant compared to delta. However, the report noted that after a booster dose, vaccines were thought to be 70 to 75% effective at preventing symptomatic infections.

"With previous variants, vaccine effectiveness against severe disease, including hospitalization and death, has been higher than effectiveness against mild disease," the UKHSA said. "It will be a few weeks before effectiveness against severe disease with Omicron can be estimated, however based on this experience, this is likely to be substantially higher than the estimates against symptomatic disease."

In a televised statement on Sunday, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Britain faces a "tidal wave" of Omicron infections, and announced that the country would be speeding up its booster program to offer all adults a third dose of a vaccine by the end of the year. The government had previously been aiming to extend its booster scheme to all over-18s by the end of January.

CNBC Health & Science

Read CNBC's latest global coverage of the Covid pandemic:

Covid cases more than doubled in South Africa last week as omicron variant spreads, WHO says

WHO says omicron variant could change the course of the Covid pandemic

Pfizer CEO says fourth Covid vaccine doses may be needed sooner than expected due to omicron

Pfizer will submit full data on Covid treatment pill to the FDA in a few days, CEO says

Pfizer and BioNTech say booster provides high level of protection against omicron in initial lab study

Pfizer will submit full data on Covid treatment pill to the FDA in a few days, CEO says

Johnson's statement came after the chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland raised the U.K.'s coronavirus threat level to four — the second highest level — in light of the spread of omicron.

Elsewhere, an Israeli study published on Saturday found that a three-dose course of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provided significant protection against the omicron variant. Israel began its booster program in July.

The findings from Israel came after researchers in South Africa found omicron could partially evade the immunity from two shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The omicron variant, thought to be more infectious than its predecessor delta, was first identified in South Africa in November and has since spread to at least 38 countries around the world and 25 U.S. states.

Adblock test (Why?)

Omicron can hit the double vaccinated, Oxford study says, as UK prepares for 'tidal wave' of cases - CNBC
Read More

Got $5,000? 3 Top Growth Stocks to Buy That Could Double Your Money - Motley Fool

If you've got some cash lying around, putting it in the market is a smart idea if you don't need it for the next three to five years. Giving a stock the right time frame to compound allows it to ride out market swings and potentially double your initial investment.

Three stocks I believe can double your money within that time period are The Trade Desk ( TTD -0.48% ), Mercado Libre ( MELI 1.12% ), and Snowflake ( SNOW 2.75% ). Each operates in the tech sector and has strong growth prospects ahead. With $5,000, an investor can buy a few shares of each and watch them compound over the next three to five years.

Image source: Getty Images

The Trade Desk

The Trade Desk operates a demand-side advertising platform. This allows businesses to advertise to targeted audiences through videos, podcast ads, and connected TV. Customers set up what audience they want to reach and their budget, and The Trade Desk's bidding platform does the rest. Additionally, users can set up direct deals with publishers through The Trade Desk if it sees particular success with one vendor. 

As the world transitions away from data tracking cookies, The Trade Desk is rolling out its own version. Unified ID 2.0 (UID2) is its solution, and it works better than its predecessor. One UID2 user saw a 20% improvement in cost per action and converted 22% more ad viewers 33% faster. Improvements on cookies will make The Trade Desk's product a must-have for users who want the most return on their advertising dollars. 

In order for a stock to double, it must produce market-beating growth. During the third quarter, The Trade Desk increased its revenue by 39%. Management is guiding for at least $388 million in Q4 revenue, representing more than 20% growth. The company also retained 95% of its customers, as it has the previous seven years.

Considering The Trade Desk's growth prospects and its answer to an important challenge across the advertisement industry, I believe it is a strong candidate for a stock that could double.

Mercado Libre

Latin America does not yet have the infrastructure to support e-commerce found in the U.S. But Mercado Libre is building practically every segment -- digital payments, an e-commerce platform, and logistics -- to bring this to fruition. Mercado Libre operates in 18 countries but derives most revenue from Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. Latin America is far from being completely developed, giving Mercado Libre a huge growth runway.

Q3 marked the first quarter over the last five that its revenue growth wasn't more than 100%. Still, quarterly revenue came in at $1.86 billion, growing at an impressive 73% clip. Mercado Libre is not dependent on either its fintech or e-commerce business alone -- both are providing strong results. Commerce makes up a larger revenue portion because it also includes Mercado Envios, the shipping logistics business.

Metric	Commerce	Fintech
Revenue (Millions)	$1,225	$633
Percent of revenue	66%	34%
YOY growth	74%	71%

Data source: Mercado Libre. YOY = year-over-year.

As a $59 billion market cap company down more than 40% from its high, Mercado Libre barely needs to set a new high to double as an investment. 

Snowflake

Many businesses generate mountains of data but have nowhere to store it or the methods to process and analyze it. Snowflake solves this issue by teaming up with the major cloud infrastructure providers to store it and provide data interpretation tools. The platform is automated, so the repetitive task of humans manually uploading data is eliminated.

Snowflake's growth and customer expansion are second to none. During its FY 2022 third quarter ending in October, it grew revenue to $312.5 million at a 110% clip. Its net revenue retention rate was an incredible 173%, meaning existing customers spent 73% more during this time frame than last. Most importantly, businesses spending $1 million or more grew by 128% to 148. These customers are also highly satisfied with Snowflake; its Dresner Customer Satisfaction score was 100%. The company has also enjoyed a 612% return on investment over three years. With incredible results like this, Snowflake remains a compelling investment.

The biggest risk with Snowflake is its valuation; it trades at more than 100 times sales. Still, a company with absurd growth rates and top-notch customer satisfaction should be considered. If it continues growing as it has, Snowflake could double in a three to five-year period.

Three stocks to be optimistic about

At more than $1,000 per share, Mercado Libre's stock price is significantly higher than the other two. However, Buying one Mercado Libre share for around $1,000 and 10 Trade Desk shares for $100 provides the same return potential, even though you own fewer shares. If each rises 10%, an investor makes $100. (Yes, it may be more appealing owning 10 shares versus one, but what matters is the dollar amount invested in each stock.)

All three companies are growing quickly and are operating in growing market segments. Buying each of these stocks and holding for a three to five-year time period could double an initial investment. These stocks will still exhibit significant price swings, so investors shouldn't get frightened if the stock temporarily drops. If The Trade Desk, Mercado Libre, and Snowflake continue their growth trajectories, investors will find few better places to put their money.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. We’re motley! Questioning an investing thesis – even one of our own – helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

Adblock test (Why?)

Got $5,000? 3 Top Growth Stocks to Buy That Could Double Your Money - Motley Fool
Read More

Covid: Double-vaccinated contacts in England told to take daily rapid tests - BBC News

Getty Images

Double-jabbed people in England who are close contacts of Covid cases will be told to take daily lateral flow tests for seven days from Tuesday.

Those who test positive, develop symptoms, or are unvaccinated should continue to self-isolate for 10 days, under new guidance.

It means people in close contact with suspected or confirmed Omicron variant cases no longer need to self-isolate.

NHS lateral flow tests are free from pharmacies or via online order.

People will not need to isolate if the test is negative and they have had at least two vaccine doses.

The government said the change in guidance "aims to reduce pressures on people's everyday lives by replacing the requirement for Omicron contacts to isolate for 10 days".

Anyone who has a positive result from a rapid test should take a confirmatory PCR test to verify the result, as well as continue to self-isolate.

They do not need to continue taking rapid tests during the isolation period.

If the PCR result comes back negative, contacts can leave self-isolation but should continue to take rapid lateral flow tests for seven days.

This change follows a significant rise in Omicron cases across the UK with the new variant expected to become the dominant strain by mid-December.

On Saturday, there were a further 54,073 new cases, including 633 of Omicron - although the real number of Omicron cases is estimated to be much higher.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: "We are taking this proportionate and more practical measure to limit the impact on people's day-to-day lives while helping to reduce the spread of Omicron."

Adblock test (Why?)

Covid: Double-vaccinated contacts in England told to take daily rapid tests - BBC News
Read More