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TOP NEWS
* Walmart Inc. named John Furner as the new president and CEO of Walmart U.S., effective Nov. 1. Furner, who is currently the president and CEO of Walmart-owned Sam's Club, will replace Greg Foran. Foran will continue with Walmart U.S. through Jan. 31, 2020, and then join Air New Zealand Ltd. as its CEO.
* The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,299 lung injury cases associated with the use of e-cigarettes across 49 states, Washington, D.C., and one U.S. territory as of Oct. 8. The CDC also confirmed 26 deaths across 21 states tied to e-cigarette use or vaping. The agency has not identified the specific chemical exposures causing the vaping-related lung injuries, and no single product or substance has been linked to all the lung-injury cases.
FOOD RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
* Walmart's Canadian unit is expanding its grocery delivery service in Toronto in partnership with online grocery app Cornershop.
* Amazon.com Inc. said it plans to build its first 650,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Nampa, Idaho, projected to create 1,000 full-time jobs. The facility, developed in partnership with Pannotoni Development Co. Inc., is expected to open in 2020.
* Italy-based Newlat SpA said it expects its shares to start trading on the Milan bourse on Oct. 24, after receiving approval for its IPO from market regulator Consob, Reuters reported. The food company recently set a price range for its IPO between €5.80 and €7.30 per share, valuing the company at up to €197 million before the capital increase.
BEVERAGES
* Canadian cannabis producer Canopy Growth Corp. named Constellation Brands Inc. Executive Vice President and CFO David Klein as chair of its board of directors, effective immediately. Klein will replace John Bell, who has been interim chair over the past few months and will remain as a director.
* Corona brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev SA has shelved its plan to roughly double the size of its U.K. headquarters amid growing Brexit uncertainty, Bloomberg News reported, citing unnamed sources. The Belgian company reportedly was looking for additional space at its headquarters, but talks fell through. "While we have not yet made a decision here, this is related to a number of factors, rather than tied to Brexit only," AB InBev reportedly said.
* The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority has launched its investigation into Slug and Lettuce pub chain owner Stonegate Pub Co. Ltd.'s deal to acquire fellow pub operator Ei Group PLC for £1.27 billion. The watchdog said it is considering whether the takeover would lessen competition.
* Fluent Beverage Co., a joint venture between Belgian brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev SA and Canadian cannabis company Tilray Inc., plans to market nonalcohol CBD-infused drinks in Canada. The potential launch is expected in December, subject to regulatory timelines implemented by Health Canada and provincial regulators.
* Danish brewer Carlsberg A/S said it has developed the "world's first" paper beer bottle, made from 100% bio-based and fully recyclable wood fibers, as a part of its goal to achieve a 30% drop in its full value chain carbon footprint by 2030.
TOBACCO & SMOKING PRODUCTS
* The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine imposed a fine of 6.5 billion Ukrainian hryvnia on four cigarette manufacturers and a distributor for anticompetitive actions, news agency Interfax Ukraine reported. The Ukrainian subsidiaries of tobacco companies Japan Tobacco Inc., British American Tobacco PLC, Philip Morris International Inc. and Imperial Brands PLC, along with distributor TEDIS Ukraine, allegedly violated the law on the protection of economic competition.
PACKAGED FOODS
* Valeo Foods Ltd. signed a contract to acquire pudding-maker Matthew Walker from food manufacturing company 2 Sisters Food Group Ltd. for £67 million. The deal, subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the coming weeks.
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