Town Hall News

By Melanie Burton MELBOURNE (Reuters) -The Aboriginal group whose rock shelters Rio Tinto Ltd destroyed for an iron ore mine three years ago said remediation efforts have begun at the site under a co-management model that gives them more agency over mine development. The destruction of the culturally significant site at Juukan Gorge in Western Australia which sheltered the group’s ancestors over 46,000 years triggered a public outcry and the […]

By Anirban Sen and Saeed Azhar (Reuters) -PacWest Bancorp has sold its property lending division to real estate financing firm Roc360 for an undisclosed amount, in a bid to bolster investor confidence amid concerns about the finances of U.S. regional lenders. Roc360 said on Tuesday it agreed to acquire PacWest’s Civic Financial Services (“CIVIC”) unit, which is known for extending loans to landlords and investors interested in purchasing homes for […]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Chinese government’s recent ban on U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology over security concerns is “not based in fact,” the White House said on Tuesday. The Biden administration is troubled by Beijing’s recent actions and by raids targeting American firms, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. The White House is communicating its view to Beijing through the Commerce Department, she said. “These actions are inconsistent with […]

By Stephen Nellis and Karen Freifeld WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Commerce Department should put trade curbs on Chinese memory chip maker Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT) after Beijing earlier this week banned the sale of some chips by U.S.-based Micron Technology Inc, the chair of the U.S. House of Representatives’ committee on China said on Tuesday. The restrictions by China’s cyberspace regulator against Micron are the latest in a widening trade […]

By Jacqueline Thomsen (Reuters) – U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said on Tuesday that the court is considering steps to “adhere to the highest standards of conduct,” after reports of a conservative justice’s travel and real estate deals prompted congressional scrutiny. Roberts, speaking at an event hosted by the American Law Institute, said that he is “committed” to ensuring the court’s nine members meet those standards. He did […]

(Reuters) – World XV coach Steve Hansen has welcomed the decision to raise the rainbow flag above Twickenham for their game against the Barbarians on Sunday after he named Israel Folau in his squad. Folau, an evangelical Christian, had his Wallabies contract terminated in 2019 after he posted a meme on social media that said “hell” awaits homosexual people and other groups. He then returned to international rugby last year […]

(Reuters) – Aston Martin’s Formula One engine partnership with Honda from 2026 will not affect ties to Mercedes on the road car side, according to the team’s CEO of performance technologies Martin Whitmarsh. Mercedes-Benz has a roughly 9.7% stake in the British sportscar maker famed for its association with fictional secret agent James Bond. The German carmaker is also currently the Formula One team’s engine provider. The Silverstone-based Formula One […]

By Alan Baldwin (Reuters) – Honda will return to Formula One as a full-blown engine manufacturer powering Aston Martin’s title ambitions when the sport enters a new era in 2026, the Japanese carmaker announced on Wednesday. The new ‘works’ partnership will transform Silverstone-based Aston Martin into Honda’s sole focus on the starting grid from their current position as one of four teams with Mercedes engines. “It is very, very difficult […]

By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand’s central bank on Wednesday raised interest rates by 25 basis points to the highest in more than 14 years to 5.5% and reiterated inflation remains too high even as it still forecast a recession this year. The decision was in line with expectations from 21 of 25 economists in a Reuters poll forecasting the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) would raise rates […]