Town Hall News

By Alexander Marrow, Gleb Stolyarov and Anne Kauranen (Reuters) -The Kremlin warned on Wednesday it could seize more Western assets in retaliation for foreign moves against Russian companies, after taking temporary control of assets belonging to two European state-owned utilities. President Vladimir Putin late on Tuesday signed a decree establishing temporary control of the Russian assets of Finland’s Fortum and Germany’s Uniper, which both operate power plants in Russia. Fortum […]

By Joseph White and Stephen Nellis DETROIT (Reuters) – Germany’s Bosch Group has agreed to buy key assets of California chip manufacturer TSI Semiconductors and invest $1.5 billion to expand U.S. production of silicon carbide chips for electric vehicles. Bosch and TSI did not disclose a purchase price. Bosch said it plans to invest $1.5 billion to retool TSI’s chip production facilities in Roseville, California to start producing silicon carbide […]

(Reuters) -First Republic Bank’s shares hit a record low on Wednesday after a report said the U.S. government was unwilling to intervene in the rescue process, adding to concerns about the troubled lender’s plans to turn around its business. The company’s shares were last down 20% at $6.51, after losing nearly half of their value on Tuesday. U.S. government officials were currently unwilling to intervene in the First Republic rescue […]

By Kate Chappell KINGSTON, Jamaica (Reuters) – While Britain prepares to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III, its former colony Jamaica is distinctly cool on having a new head of state from a distant land. The process to sever ties with the British monarchy is underway, following in the footsteps of another former Caribbean possession, Barbados. With a bitter history of slavery and a plantation economy that made some […]

By Kantaro Komiya and Joey Roulette (Reuters) -Japan’s ispace inc said its attempt to make the first private moon landing had failed after losing contact with its Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) lander when it unexpectedly accelerated and probably crashed on the lunar surface. The startup said it was possible that as the lander approached the moon, its altitude measurement system had miscalculated the distance to the surface. “It apparently went […]

(Reuters) -Humana Inc raised its annual adjusted profit forecast on Wednesday after lower medical costs in the firm’s government-backed health insurance business helped it beat profit estimates for the first quarter. The company’s upbeat outlook contrasts uncertainty around 2024 earnings for health insurers staring at the end of COVID-related insurance protection measures and potential declines in government payouts for some plans.     That has driven increased investor scrutiny into whether one-time […]

By Khalid Abdelaziz and Nadine Awadalla KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan’s capital resounded with gunfire and explosions on the western outskirts on Wednesday, eroding a truce amid collapsing basic services, dwindling food supplies and the opening of a prison that let out allies of a jailed former autocrat. With the conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) showing no sign of easing, the army said former president […]

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – National security plans and geopolitical tensions including those between the United States and China will have ripple effects through the semiconductor industry, the chief executive of ASML Holding NV said on Wednesday. Speaking at ASML’s annual meeting, CEO Peter Wennink said it was “logical” that China would seek to develop its own technologies, including semiconductor equipment, when it is restricted from purchasing products made abroad. ASML dominates […]

(Reuters) – U.S. railroad operator Norfolk Southern Corp said on Wednesday it took a $387 million charge in the first quarter after a freight train derailment in Eastern Ohio released over a million gallons of hazardous materials into the environment. “(The charges) do not reflect any amounts potentially recoverable under the company’s insurance policies,” the company said, after reporting adjusted quarterly profit above analysts’ estimates on the back of robust […]