Yellen wants more World Bank reforms in coming months, eyes subnational lending

By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she is insisting that next steps in the World Bank’s evolution be taken in coming months, including potential changes to allow the bank’s private sector and poor country lending arms to lend to sub-sovereign entities like cities and regional authorities. Yellen told Reuters…

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Canada offering more than C$13 billion for VW battery plant – govt source

OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada has agreed to provide up to C$13 billion ($9.7 billion) in subsidies and a C$700 million grant to lure Volkswagen AG into building its North American battery plant in the country, a government source said on Thursday. The total Canadian investment, which could also include funds from the Ontario government, will largely…

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Alphabet to combine AI research units Google Brain, DeepMind

(Reuters) -Alphabet Inc is combining Google Brain and DeepMind, as it doubles down on artificial intelligence research in its race to compete with rival systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot. The new division will be led by DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and its setting up will ensure “bold and responsible development of general AI”, Alphabet CEO…

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Lockheed and Rheinmetall to develop German version of HIMARS rocket launchers

BERLIN (Reuters) – Arms makers Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall will team up to develop a German rocket artillery system, they said on Thursday, a weapon in the same category as the HIMARS rocket launchers Lockheed has been supplying to Ukraine. HIMARS is a missile launcher mounted on a truck that can fire multiple guided missiles…

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Renault chooses banks for planned listing of electric car unit Ampere – source

PARIS (Reuters) – French carmaker Renault has picked BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan among the investment banks slated to work on the planned listing of its electric car business, Ampere, a source close to the matter said on Thursday. The three banks will act as joint global coordinators on the initial public offering (IPO)…

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DeSantis signs bill to lower bar on death sentence in Florida

By Tyler Clifford (Reuters) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Thursday ending a requirement that juries need to vote unanimously to recommend capital punishment before a judge in a capital felony trial can sentence a defendant to death. The Republican governor, who is expected to run for his party’s 2024 presidential nomination,…

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