Town Hall News

By Daniel Ramos LA PAZ (Reuters) – Bolivian President Luis Arce said on Thursday he would be willing to jointly design a lithium policy with other Latin American countries to benefit their economies, echoing a similar proposal from Mexico’s President. Bolivia has an estimated 21 million tonnes of untapped lithium resources, the most worldwide, in an area of sprawling salt flats delineating the so-called “lithium triangle” that includes northern Chile […]

By James Mackenzie JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned his defence chief on Thursday after reports the minister wanted to halt the government’s judicial overhaul plans, as cracks opened in the ruling coalition over the bitterly disputed project. A planned statement by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, whom Israeli media said wanted to call for a stop to the plans in the name of maintaining order in military ranks, […]

By Rory Carroll (Reuters) – Cyclist Kristen Worley, the first transitioned athlete to successfully legally challenge the gender policies of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), on Thursday called World Athletics’ ban on transgender woman athletes “disheartening and disappointing.” Worley sought to compete for Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but because of health issues related to the IOC’s gender verification process, she was physically unable to perform. She has since […]

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss (Reuters) – ValueAct Capital informed Seven & i Holdings on Friday it would lobby to remove four directors from the Japanese’s convenience store operator’s 14-member board, citing “a failed corporate strategy.” ValueAct, which owns a 4.4% stake of Seven & i, had called on the company’s management in January to spin-off of its 7-Eleven convenience store chain. In a letter reviewed by Reuters, the hedge fund said […]

By Heather Timmons and David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -For the fourth time in a week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen took a microphone on Thursday aiming to reassure Americans that the U.S. banking system is safe, each time with a subtle shift in message. But bankers and Wall Street never heard what they fervently wanted: That the government would guarantee all $19.2 trillion in U.S. bank deposits until the banking […]

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 […]