SYDNEY (Reuters) – A measure of Australian consumer sentiment fell for a third month in February as higher living costs from petrol to rent undermined finances and overshadowed an easing in coronavirus cases. The Westpac-Melbourne Institute index of consumer sentiment released on Wednesday slipped 1.3% in February from January, when it dropped 2.0%. The index…
By Julie Gordon and Rod Nickel OTTAWA (Reuters) – Protests in Canada against vaccine mandates have disrupted two key U.S. border crossings, and are snarling hundreds of millions of dollars daily of trade, ranging from cattle to car parts. Demonstrations demanding an end to federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross-border truck drivers began Jan. 28…
Starbucks has fired seven employees who were leading an effort to unionize a Memphis, Tennessee, store. The Seattle coffee giant said Tuesday that the employees violated company policy by reopening a store after closing time and inviting non-employees to come inside and move throughout the store, including behind the counter and in back rooms. The…
(Reuters) – Nikola Corp has imposed a temporary hiring freeze as it grapples with the departure of several senior executives in its supply-chain department over the last few months, Electrek reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. Matthew Jenkins, director of supply chain and purchasing; Mike Chaffins, global head of supply chain; and…
By Tina Bellon and Nivedita Balu (Reuters) -Lyft Inc closed 2021 with its first full-year adjusted profit as customers eager to step out and travel paid a record amount for trips during the fourth quarter and more drivers returned to work, the ride-hailing company said on Tuesday. Shares were down 3% in after-hours trading after…
By Tina Bellon and Nivedita Balu (Reuters) – Lyft Inc closed 2021 with its first full-year adjusted profit as customers eager to step out and travel paid a record amount for trips during the fourth quarter and more drivers returned to work, the ride-hailing company said on Tuesday. Revenue per active rider jumped 13.5% to…
By Dietrich Knauth (Reuters) -A mediator holding talks between members of the Sackler family that own Purdue Pharma and U.S. states opposed to the OxyContin-maker’s bankruptcy exit plan requested an extension of negotiations intended to resolve claims that the company fueled a U.S. opioid epidemic. The mediator asked a bankruptcy judge to extend the deadline…
By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. goods exports to China fell in December, cementing a massive shortfall in Beijing’s two-year purchase commitments under the “Phase 1” trade deal negotiated by former President Donald Trump’s administration. The U.S. Census Bureau said on Tuesday that the United States’ 2021 goods trade deficit with China rose by…
(Reuters) – Johnson & Johnson quietly shut down the only plant making usable batches of its COVID-19 vaccine late last year, the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the decision. The halt is temporary, with the plant in the Dutch city of Leiden expected to start making the vaccine again after a few…
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple said Tuesday it is expanding the iPhone’s capabilities to accept contactless payments, making it easier for merchants to conduct tap-to-pay transactions without having to buy additional hardware. It will also give Apple a competitive edge in the growing world of contactless payments, in which the iPhone, as well as Apple…
