News Archive - 26 August 2015

>HotChalk, an educational technology startup, is in talks to raise at least $75 million from private investors, valuing the company at roughly $500 million to $800 million, according to people familiar with the matter.The company, which helps universities and colleges create online degree programs, has hired CitiGroup Inc (C.

>BlackRock Inc, the world's largest asset manager is acquiring a San Francisco-based robo-adviser, FutureAdvisor, the firm announced Wednesday morning.Unlike competitors in this space, BlackRock does not plan to target individual investors with the robo-adviser, which offers portfolio management online. Instead the firm hopes to use FutureAdvisor to enable banks,...

>ANKENY, Iowa Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said she would bolster rural economies by encouraging investment, boosting family farms' profitability, increasing clean energy production and improving access to education and healthcare.Clinton's first stop in the early-voting state of Iowa on Wednesday was at the Des Moines Area...

>Obama will host Xi at the White House in September for a state visit. The United States has alleged Chinese hackers have stolen information from U.S. computer servers. (Reporting By Julia Edwards; Editing by Bill Trott)...

>"There are several indications that we are succeeding in our effort to build support in Congress," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. (Reporting By Julia Edwards)...

>SAN FRANCISCO Facebook Inc is testing a personal digital assistant called "M" within its Messenger service that can answer questions with live human help and perform tasks such as buying gifts online and booking restaurants.M is "powered by artificial intelligence that's trained and supervised by people," David Marcus, vice...

>NEW YORK If seeing an inbox full of hundreds of emails fills you with dread, get used to it, because they are here to stay and will remain a constant in the workplace, according to a survey released on Wednesday.Despite the popularity of instant messaging, texting and social media,...

>The two sides agreed in February to a ceasefire between their forces in eastern Ukraine in parallel to a political process, including plans for local elections and establishment of a special self-management status for separatist-minded regions.But sporadic clashes between the two forces, in which artillery and other weapons have...

>ATHENS Outgoing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras signaled on Wednesday he would accept an easing of Greece's huge debt burden if he wins elections expected next month without any of the write-offs he has long demanded.Tsipras, who hopes to return to power with an absolute majority, told Alpha TV that...

>ROSZKE, Hungary Hungary made plans on Wednesday to reinforce its southern border with helicopters, mounted police and dogs, and was also considering using the army as record numbers of migrants, many of them Syrian refugees, passed through coils of razor-wire into Europe.In Germany, which expects to receive 800,000 of...

>WASHINGTON A gauge of U.S. business investment plans recorded its largest increase in just over a year in July, suggesting the United States was in good shape to withstand growing strains in the global economy.The Commerce Department said on Wednesday non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely...

>NEW YORK An interest rate hike next month seems less appropriate given the threat posed to the U.S. economy by recent global market turmoil, an influential Federal Reserve official said on Wednesday.In the clearest indication yet that fears of a Chinese economic slowdown could influence U.S. monetary...

>U.S. agribusiness leader Monsanto Co. (MON.N) on Wednesday abandoned pursuit of Swiss rival Syngenta AG (SYNN.VX), which had rejected a recently sweetened $47 billion offer.Syngenta shares fell more than 18 percent on the news, while Monsanto shares jumped more than 7 percent.The Swiss agrichemicals group...

>Schlumberger Ltd (SLB.N) will buy oilfield equipment maker Cameron International Corp (CAM.N) in a deal valued at $14.8 billion to streamline supply chains and offer cost-effective services to oil and gas customers who have slashed budgets.The deal is the latest example of energy companies joining forces...

>Wall Street racked up its biggest one-day gain in four years on Wednesday as fears about China's economy gave way to bargain hunters emboldened by expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve might not raise interest rates next month.Led by Silicon Valley stalwarts Apple, Amazon and Google, the surge put...