Town Hall News

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexican retail and bottling giant Femsa said Wednesday it had reached a “definitive” agreement to sell its stake in Jetro Restaurant Depot for $1.4 billion, furthering its strategy to simplify its business, and sending its shares up. The transaction will close in the second quarter of this year, when it will receive $467 million upfront, with the final chunk paid in the subsequent two years, it added […]

By Laura Sanicola (Reuters) – Oil prices fell on Wednesday on a stronger U.S. dollar and as weak data from top oil importer China raised demand fears. Brent crude futures for August delivery were down 37 cents, or 0.5%, to $73.34 a barrel at 12:07 p.m. EDT (1707 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) fell 54 cents, or 0.8%, to $68.92. Both benchmarks fell by over $2 earlier in […]

By Laura Sanicola (Reuters) – Oil prices fell on Wednesday on a stronger U.S. dollar and as weak data from top oil importer China raised demand fears. Brent crude futures for August delivery were down 37 cents, or 0.5%, to $73.34 a barrel at 12:07 p.m. EDT (1707 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) fell 54 cents, or 0.8%, to $68.92. Both benchmarks fell by over $2 earlier in […]

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 […]