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    ASX closes lower; Toyota robotaxis; Upcare anti-COVID-19 products

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    Highlights
    • ASX200 closes 0.52% higher at 6856.90.
    • Toyota teams with Denso and Aurora on a self-driving robotaxi fleet.
    • Upcare to raise US$50M for anti-COVID-19 botanicals trial.

    The Australian market has closed the midweek session 0.52% higher at 6856.90 points, driven by a tech stocks rally.

    Megaport soared 7.71% and Appen climbed more than 6.5%, while buy now, pay later players Zip Co and Afterpay hit record highs, up 12.16% and 4.19%, respectively.

    Bitcoin is trading around US$46,259.03 at 4:30pm AEDT, dropping 1.44% in the last 24 hours.

    Making headlines, Toyota has teamed up with Aurora and Denso to develop a fleet of driverless robotaxis, which are slated to hit the road by the end of 2021.

    In tech news, Melbourne-based biotech firm Upcare Group is hoping to raise US$50M to support human trials of the therapeutics products its developing to treat COVID-19.

    And the iPhone health app has helped convict a man who was on trial for murder in the US.

    The man claimed he was asleep when the victim - his wife - was killed, but his iPhone health app says he took 18 steps around the same time.

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