France Blocks Sale of Carrefour to Canada's Couche-Tard 
 

The French finance minister told the Canadian retailer's chairman that the nearly $20 billion deal would threaten jobs and France's food security amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

 
WhatsApp Delays Rollout of New Privacy Tools After User Backlash 
 

The Facebook-owned messaging service acknowledges 'confusion' over changes.

 
America's Big Banks Girded for Bad Loans. They're Still Waiting. 
 

JPMorgan, Citigroup and Wells Fargo all reported better-than-expected earnings Friday. Reserve releases and Wall Street powered the results.

 
European Telecom Towers Become Hot Assets Amid 5G Rollout 
 

Telecoms are realizing it is cheaper to share infrastructure than start from scratch, and independent tower companies may offer the best deals.

 
Cap-and-Gown Maker American Achievement Enters Chapter 11 Amid Cerberus Governance Dispute 
 

Parent company AAC Holding Corp. filed for chapter 11 protection U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Dallas on Thursday, citing efforts by Cerberus to fill the company's governing boards with "handpicked directors" after it defaulted on $463 million in debt.

 
Walmart E-Commerce Boss Marc Lore to Leave 
 

The Jet.com founder joined Walmart in 2016 after it bought his startup and pushed the bricks-and-mortar giant to ramp up its online offerings.

 
Former Petrofac Executive Pleads Guilty to Three Counts of Bribery 
 

A U.K. governmental department said late Thursday that a former Petrofac Ltd. executive has pleaded guilty to three counts of bribery at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

 
Exxon Draws SEC Probe Over Permian Valuation 
 

A whistleblower complaint alleges that lower-level employees were pressured to use unrealistic assumptions on how quickly the company could drill wells.

 
Prosecutors Credited Boeing for Compliance, Organizational Reforms 
 

The plane maker's $2.5 billion settlement over the 737 MAX shows the importance of ensuring that compliance and safety programs are effectively structured, lawyers say.

 
Companies Brace Themselves for New ESG Regulations Under Biden 
 

Businesses and trade groups are hoping to get clarity about-and influence-expected rules on environmental, social and governance issues.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 15, 2021 15:00 ET (20:00 GMT)

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