Press Digest: Wall Street Journal - Aug 15
15/08/2014 05:41
Aug 15 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the
Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and
does not vouch for their accuracy.
* Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki relinquished power on
Thursday, ending eight years of tumultuous rule and opening a
new political chapter that U.S. officials hope will move Iraq
towards a more united front against marauding jihadists. (http://on.wsj.com/1uV9DhL)
* Missouri Governor Jay Nixon put the state highway patrol
in charge of security in Ferguson on Thursday in hopes of
quelling nightly clashes between protesters angry over a police
shooting of an unarmed black teenager and SWAT teams using tear
gas. (http://on.wsj.com/1qb76f6)
* The euro-zone economy stalled in the second quarter,
raising the ugly prospect that the region's meager recovery has
lost momentum just as it faces fresh headwinds from Russia and
Ukraine. (http://on.wsj.com/1t1A0SF)
* The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating
the auditor of Cynk Technology Corp CYNK.PK , the tiny social
network that soared to a $6 billion valuation last month and
then came crashing back down to earth, say people close to the
probe. (http://on.wsj.com/XlpPhd)
* Swedish appliance manufacturer Electrolux AB ELUXb.ST
has held preliminary discussions about acquiring General
Electric Co's GE.N appliance business, joining a group of
other potential suitors considering a deal that could expand
their reach in North America. (http://on.wsj.com/YaVYby)
* Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's IPO-BABA.N plan for a
potentially record-breaking initial public offering is prompting
other companies to push back their own stock-market debuts.
Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc's RBS.L Citizens Financial
Group Inc has pushed back the launch of its IPO, which was
slated for the second week of September, according to people
familiar with the matter. (http://on.wsj.com/1mOTIMo)
* In a risky bid to jolt sagging sales, Coca-Cola Co KO.N
is paying $2.15 billion to acquire a 16.7 percent stake in
energy-drink maker Monster Beverage Corp MNST.O as part of an
asset swap. (http://on.wsj.com/Xlr4gB)
* Federal regulators are looking into whether a hostile
offer jointly pursued by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International
Inc VRX.TO and activist investor William Ackman to acquire
Allergan Inc AGN.N violates securities laws, according to
people familiar with the matter. (http://on.wsj.com/1uTJfER)
* Cutrale Group's bid this week to buy Chiquita Brands
International Inc CQB.N has put Brazil's secretive "Orange
King" Jose Luis Cutrale in the spotlight. Cutrale is one of
three companies operating in Brazil that account for about 80
percent of global orange-juice exports. (http://on.wsj.com/1l7PXqI)
* Banks and other financial companies world-wide are issuing
bonds in the United States at a record pace, taking advantage of
this year's surprising slump in interest rates and a brightening
outlook for the sector. (http://on.wsj.com/1pQnhkA)
* Supermarket chain Supervalu Inc SVU.N is investigating a
potential data breach that might have affected more than 1,000
stores, according to people familiar with the situation, the
latest attack against a big merchant in recent months. (http://on.wsj.com/1vONB4u)
* Apple Inc AAPL.O created the blueprint for a smartphone
when it covered the touch screen of its first iPhone in glass
instead of plastic. Now, it is betting $700 million that
sapphire, a harder and more expensive material, can replace
glass and better protect future devices. (http://on.wsj.com/Yb0Qxc)
* Less than 10 days after Gannett Co Inc GCI.N said it
would separate its publishing business from its broadcasting
operations, activist investor Carl Icahn disclosed he had
accumulated over the past couple of months a 6.63 percent stake
in the company and had planned to push for such a split. (http://on.wsj.com/1kFuJ2K)
* Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's film-production arm said it
had uncovered possible accounting irregularities and would delay
the release of its first-half financial results, and suspend
trading of its stock while it investigated the matter. (http://on.wsj.com/1rykThC)
* Consumers may soon be able to pay for their Airbnb rentals
or Uber car rides using bitcoin. EBay Inc EBAY.O has been
quietly working to integrate acceptance of the virtual currency
into its Braintree payments subsidiary, part of its PayPal unit,
according to people familiar with the matter. (http://on.wsj.com/1lZBPKK)
(Compiled by Shivam Srivastava in Bangalore)
((shivam.srivastava@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 646 223
8780, outside U.S. +91 80 6749 6894; Reuters Messaging:
shivam.srivastava.thomsreuters.com@reuters.net))
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