Town Hall News

By Michel Rose PARIS (Reuters) – President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged on Wednesday that France should have paid more attention to Eastern European nations, which warned about a belligerent Russia before Moscow’s forces invaded Ukraine. Macron told a security forum there should be no division between “Old Europe” and “New Europe”, referring to enduring divergences between eastern and western European Union members over matters such as Russia. “Some said you had […]

By Michel Rose PARIS (Reuters) – President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged on Wednesday that France should have paid more attention to Eastern European nations, which warned about a belligerent Russia before Moscow’s forces invaded Ukraine. Macron told a security forum there should be no division between “Old Europe” and “New Europe”, referring to enduring divergences between eastern and western European Union members over matters such as Russia. “Some said you had […]

By Karen Freifeld WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New rules under consideration would restrict the flow of U.S. investments and know-how into Chinese companies working on advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, a U.S. Treasury official said on Wednesday. Speaking before a Senate Banking Committee hearing, Paul Rosen, who oversees investment security at Treasury, said officials are working on curbing investment from the U.S. that “comes with know-how and expertise to […]

By Karen Freifeld WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New rules under consideration would restrict the flow of U.S. investments and know-how into Chinese companies working on advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, a U.S. Treasury official said on Wednesday. Speaking before a Senate Banking Committee hearing, Paul Rosen, who oversees investment security at Treasury, said officials are working on curbing investment from the U.S. that “comes with know-how and expertise to […]

By Eric Martyn HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (Reuters) – Canadian fire officials warned on Wednesday gusty winds and low humidity could fuel a raging wildfire in Halifax that has forced thousands to evacuate while causing poor air quality hundreds of miles away in the U.S. The blaze, dubbed the Tantallon Fire, in the eastern Canadian city of Halifax, grew by 49 hectares (121 acres) to 837 hectares (2,068 acres) since Tuesday, […]

LONDON (Reuters) – The largest owner of IKEA stores has acquired supply chain software firm Made4Net as the Swedish furniture retailer plans a major expansion in the United States and aims to grow its online sales. Ingka Group’s investment arm Ingka Investments bought the company for an undisclosed sum, the company said, in order to improve IKEA’s warehouse and logistics operations as shoppers increasingly demand next-day or same-day delivery. Made4net’s […]

By Mike Scarcella (Reuters) – Healthcare company Abbott Laboratories on Tuesday sued one of its former scientists, accusing him in U.S. court of “secretly downloading” sensitive corporate files containing competitive information about nutrition products. The lawsuit in Chicago federal court alleged Roger Tyre committed “flagrant misconduct” prior to leaving Illinois-based Abbott, which sells the Ensure brand nutrition powders and shakes. Abbott said it learned of the alleged downloads of thousands […]

By Emma-Victoria Farr FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany’s Schmid Group said on Wednesday it plans to list in New York via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), in a deal estimated to give the technology firm a valuation of $640 million. The fifth generation family-owned business, which specialises in electronics, would become a publicly-listed company on the New York Stock Exchange in the fourth quarter of this year. The transaction will […]

By Toby Sterling AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – A Dutch law giving the government power to review foreign technology investments and block takeovers on national security grounds is set to go into effect this week, the government said on Wednesday. Economic Affairs Minister Micky Adriaansens, who will oversee the new Investment Review Office, said in a statement she has also opened a portal for Dutch companies to learn what foreign firms they […]