Italian police have seized €1.3 billion worth of shares from Lagfin, the controlling shareholder of Campari, over allegations of tax evasion related to undeclared capital gains and transfer of assets abroad for tax benefits. Campari states it is not involved, and the investigation focuses on Lagfin and its executives.
Italian spirits company Campari has agreed to acquire French cognac house Courvoisier from Beam Suntory for $1.2 billion, marking Campari's largest acquisition to date. The purchase of Courvoisier, one of the top four cognac brands, will strengthen Campari's presence in the United States and offer growth potential in the Asia Pacific region, particularly China. Campari aims to become a more serious contender to spirits giants Diageo and Pernod Ricard and expects the acquisition to boost its net sales by around 9%. The deal is expected to close next year and will be funded through a mix of debt, cash, and equity.
Researchers from Cleveland Clinic and Oregon Health and Science University have developed a new method, using the CaMPARI system, for mapping real-time brain activity by highlighting active neurons in red and inactive ones in green. This breakthrough has the potential to improve our understanding of behavior changes in patients with neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and could lead to better treatment options. The researchers hope to use this technique to study how Alzheimer's-related genes affect neuron signaling in learning and memory, with the goal of developing interventions to improve cognitive performance in affected individuals.