Town Hall News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Biden administration on Thursday added 14 Chinese companies to a red flag list, forcing U.S. exporters to conduct greater due diligence before shipping goods to them because U.S. officials have been unable to inspect the listed entities. Being added to the list can potentially start a 60-day clock that could trigger much tougher penalties. “Enforcing our export controls is a crucial part of protecting American national security,” […]

By Steve Scherer and Andrea Shalal OTTAWA (Reuters) -The United States and Canada reached a deal aimed at stopping asylum seekers from entering the shared land border via unofficial crossings, though some details still need to be ironed out when the two sides meet, a Canadian government source and a U.S. official told Reuters on Thursday. The revised Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) will be discussed on Friday at an […]

(Reuters) -Australian aged-care provider Estia Health Ltd said on Friday it received a non-binding buyout proposal from U.S. private investment firm Bain Capital for A$775.1 million ($517.77 million), sending its shares to an over 3-year high. The A$3.00 cash per share proposal, which is at a 28.2% premium to Estia’s last close, is among the latest proposals by a private equity firm since last year amid increasing merger and acquisition […]

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s manufacturing activity contracted for a fifth straight month in March as output and new orders remained under pressure, a survey showed on Friday, suggesting the economic recovery is fragile as global demand slows. However, service-sector activity expanded for a seventh straight month and rose at the fastest pace in over nine years as the squeeze from the coronavirus pandemic eased. The au Jibun Bank flash Japan […]

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s manufacturing activity contracted for a fifth straight month in March as output and new orders remained under pressure, a survey showed on Friday, suggesting the economic recovery is fragile as global demand slows. However, service-sector activity expanded for a seventh straight month and rose at the fastest pace in over nine years as the squeeze from the coronavirus pandemic eased. The au Jibun Bank flash Japan […]

By Takahiko Wada and Leika Kihara TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s core consumer inflation slowed in February but an index stripping away energy costs hit a four-decade high, data showed on Friday, suggesting cost-push pressures may persist longer than policymakers thought. With inflation still exceeding the Bank of Japan’s 2% target, the data will keep alive market expectations of a near-term tweak to its bond yield control policy, analysts say. The core […]

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) – A U.S. judge on Thursday denied Archegos Capital Management LP founder Bill Hwang’s effort to dismiss an indictment accusing him of fraud in the collapse of his once-$36 billion firm. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan rejected arguments that the 11-count indictment should be tossed because prosecutors deceived Hwang into cooperating with their probe and because Hwang’s trading activity had been lawful. […]

LONDON (Reuters) – London’s Westminster Abbey said visitors will get the chance this summer to follow King Charles’ coronation footsteps, getting access for the first time in living memory to an area sealed off to the public. Charles will be crowned on May 6 at the church where coronations for English and British monarchs have been held for the past 1,000 years. As part of special tours to be run […]

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Anirban Sen NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – Some of the most prominent rainmakers in the world of corporate mergers struck a note of optimism about dealmaking on Thursday, even as they acknowledged a volatile economic backdrop had significantly impacted M&A activity. The banking crisis that has emerged in the wake of Silicon Valley Bank’s failure has shaken boardroom confidence already dented by fears over an economic slowdown, […]