JAB to take over Pret A Manger
Luxembourg-based JAB Holdings will acquired the UK-based sandwich shop chain Pret A Manger for £1.5bn, reported the Financial Times. Pret has nearly 500 locations, mostly in Europe and the US, and had sales of £776m in 2016. JAB is an investment vehicle that owns several large food and drink brands, including Dr Pepper, Snapple, Keurig, Peet’s Coffee, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Krispy Kreme.
Interim PM named in Italy as fresh elections loom
Italy’s president, Sergio Mattarella, has asked a former IMF economist, Carlo Cottarelli, to form an interim government after rejecting the nomination of a Eurosceptic finance minister, reported the Guardian. Questions have been raised about the constitutionality of the president’s move, noted the Economist, and Italy appears to be heading for a fresh poll. Some are calling the election a de facto referendum on the euro, reported Reuters.
Borders top Kurz’s EU agenda
Migration and border security will be priorities during Austria’s EU presidency, the country’s chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, told the Financial Times. Vienna takes the helm in July.
Denied UK visa, Abramovich heads to Israel
Roman Abramovich, the Russian-Jewish owner of Chelsea football club, has gone to Tel Aviv, having begun the process of becoming an Israeli citizen, said the BBC. The British government has so far not renewed his investor’s visa, as diplomatic tensions between London and Moscow continue. Israeli nationals can enter the UK visa-free for short stays.
FBI router warning
The FBI has said that Russian hackers have infected “hundreds of thousands” of home and office routers with a malware program called VPNFilter, according to Slate and Snopes. The malware can make the device unusable or be used to launch other attacks. The infection can apparently be wiped out with a simple procedure: turn the machine off and then switch it back on.