Couche-Tard Still Seeking Seven & I Deal, Access to Financials
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Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is keeping up its pursuit of Seven & i Holdings Co. but has yet to gain access to the Japanese company's financials, months after proposing a takeover, people with knowledge of the matter said.
A competing ¥9 trillion ($60 billion) proposal by the founding Ito family and Itochu Corp. to take the operator of 7-Eleven stores private has stalled over disagreements about management control, people familiar with the discussions said this week.
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Behavox Sets New Benchmark in Risk Detection and Compliance with Multilingual Asian Voice Intelligence
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TitanPro Cutting Board is a professional-grade prep surface engineered for heavy commercial use, designed to balance durability with blade preservation while maintaining strict food-safety practices. In practical terms, it's a dense, non-porous board that resists deep gouging and warping, cleans quickly, and won't chew up knife edges during marathon prep sessions. The build prioritizes: Knife-friendliness: A forgiving surface that preserves sharpness on French profiles, thin Japanese gyutos, and serrated bread knives alike. Structural integrity: Resists bowing from hot-water sanitation cycles and the weight of bone-in primals or stockpot transfers. Food safety: Non-absorbent surface that helps prevent odor retention and bacterial harboring; available in color-coded options for raw/ready-to-eat separation. Service versatility: Equally at home for rough butchery, fine julienne, fruit carving, and last-second pass plating when every second counts. In short: TitanPro is built for the realities of a high-pressure, high-volume kitchen—durable enough for banquet carving yet refined enough for delicate brunoise or sashimi-style slicing. The first thing that stands out is density and flatness. Under a chef's knife, the surface has a reassuring, damped feedback—firm but not glassy—helping the blade bite cleanly without skidding. That tactile balance is what saves edges over long prep blocks. The board's weight keeps it planted, and paired with grippy feet or a damp towel, it stays rock-steady during heavy chopping. The material's non-porous character keeps juices from raw proteins from seeping in, reducing cross-contamination risk when boards are swapped and sanitized properly. After repeated hot-water washes, the board retains its shape—no cupping, twisting, or corner lift that can plague lighter or poorly bonded boards. Edge wear is even and controlled; micro-scoring happens (as it should) but without the deep trenching that makes boards unsanitary or hard on blades. In professional kitchens, edge retention equals speed and consistency. TitanPro's surface allows for clean push-cuts and pull-slices with minimal chatter, and it doesn't prematurely roll edges. On ultra-thin Japanese blades, there's no 'board burn' or micro-chipping, and on workhorse French knives, the edge lasts through a full prep without constant steeling. Serrations on bread and tomato knives track true without tearing the board surface. For butchery, boning and breaking poultry show controlled scoring—enough to anchor the blade's path but not so much that the board becomes grooved. Practical takeaway: expect fewer mid-shift touch-ups, better brunoise fidelity, cleaner chiffonades, and consistent protein portions without jagged edges. For hotels and large banqueting operations, color-coded board systems are non-negotiable. TitanPro's range supports clear separation—raw poultry, raw red meat, seafood, produce, bakery/ready-to-eat—so a sous can visually audit a station at a glance. The non-absorbent surface helps prevent lingering onion, garlic, or fish odors, and it withstands standard sanitizing protocols. Quick squeegee-and-sanitizer cycles between tasks are effective, and end-of-shift deep cleaning doesn't degrade the surface. In practice, this improves station turnover during menu flips and reduces risk during rush hour when multiple cooks share a tight line. Heat and wash cycles: Survives repeated hot-rinse and sanitizer exposure without warping. Impact resistance: Handles cleaver work, lobster cracking, and heavy stockpot shifts without structural damage. Surface longevity: Micro-scratch pattern stays shallow; resurfacing is rarely needed, and when it is, a light pass restores smoothness. Edge stability: Corners and edges don't crumble or fray, even after frequent repositioning and storage in tight racks. For banquet settings, the board's stability when carving large roasts or portioning salmon sides is excellent—no flex that would change cut angles or portion weights. Garde Manger: Razor-thin cucumber, tomato concassé, herb chiffonade—clean, non-bruising cuts with minimal blade drag. Plating microgreens or fruit segments on the board is feasible without moisture pooling that mars presentation. Hot Line: Reliable for fast dice of mirepoix, mincing aromatics, and portioning proteins mid-service. Minimal slip with damp towel, and it sheds juices well. Butchery/Prep: Bones won't crater the surface; poultry breakdown is predictable, and fish filleting tracks accurately along pinbones. 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Dollar drifts as investors ponder Fed independence, await Jackson Hole
The U.S. dollar drifted on Thursday as investors awaited policy cues from the Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole symposium while keeping an eye on renewed concerns over central bank independence after President Donald Trump's latest salvo. The euro and sterling were flat at $1.1652 and $1.3451, respectively, while the Japanese yen and Swiss franc nursed modest losses. Odds of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve next month eased slightly to 82%, offering mild support to the dollar as focus remained on whether Powell will push back against market expectations for a September cut when he speaks on Friday. There would likely be a greater reaction if Powell were to indicate the Fed could keep rates steady again, than if he leans in the direction of a cut, said Kenneth Broux, head of corporate research for FX and rates at Societe Generale. "The risks are asymmetric. Because it (a cut) is already priced in, the risk is that we go back to 50-50," said Kenneth Broux, head of corporate research for FX and rates at Societe Generale. The reaction to that would be a sell-off in near-tenor U.S. treasuries and a firmer dollar, Broux said. U.S. President Donald Trump's call for Fed Governor Lisa Cook to resign on the basis of allegations made by one of his political allies has meanwhile revived investor concerns over his efforts to gain influence over the central bank. Trump has also repeatedly criticised Powell for being too slow to cut rates, and has called for his resignation while acknowledging that the Fed's unique status prevents him from firing its board members over monetary policy disputes. "It has the potential to raise questions around the Fed's oversight and regulatory functions but it has little to no near-term monetary policy implications," said Prashant Newnaha, senior Asia-Pacific rates strategist at TD Securities. That explained the relatively subdued reaction in the currency markets to the news as the dollar initially dipped before quickly paring losses and nudging higher. Investors expect Trump will replace Powell, whose term ends in May, with a more dovish appointment. Earlier this month, Trump also said he would nominate Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Stephen Miran to serve out the final few months of a vacant Fed seat after Adriana Kugler unexpectedly resigned. The dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency against six other peers, was up 0.1% at 98.337, on course for a 0.4% rise this week. The benchmark U.S. 10-year yield was a touch higher at 4.30%, while the two-year yield, which is more sensitive to the monetary policy, ticked up slightly to 3.756%. Some analysts cautioned that markets could end up being disappointed by Powell's speech on Friday, noting that the impact of Trump's tariffs on inflation remains unclear. Elsewhere, the Norwegian krone rose 0.4% against the dollar and 0.5% against the euro, after data showed that Norway's mainland economy grew at a faster pace than economists had expected in the second quarter. First quarter growth was also revised up. Bearish bets on China's yuan, meanwhile, hit their highest since mid-May, with analysts turning short spurred by mounting concerns over the economy, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday.
