Bloomberg Godrej Industries Ltd, part of a 125-year-old Indian conglomerate, is looking to boost the number of oil palm plantations as the government aims to raise local output and cut the nation’s heavy imports. The group’s agriculture and chemicals arm Godrej Agrovet Ltd — India’s largest oil palm processor backed by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings Pte — will ...
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Nato allies warn on China with eye on Beijing’s ties to Putin
Bloomberg A Nato foreign minister warned that economic reliance on China is risky after what happened with Russia, even as other envoys stressed how Beijing could help push for a deal to end the war in Ukraine. “We’ve seen what dependence on Russia means to all of us in the West,†Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told Bloomberg TV on ...
Read More »S Africa’s parliament to release Ramaphosa farm scandal report
Bloomberg The findings of an advisory panel set up by South Africa’s parliament to probe whether there are grounds for lawmakers to take action against President Cyril Ramaphosa in connection with a scandal over a robbery at his game farm was expected to be published on Wednesday. Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, who headed the three-member panel, handed the report over ...
Read More »EU explores new steps to probe Russian crimes, use frozen assets
Bloomberg European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested creating a special international court to probe Russian actions in Ukraine and using frozen Russian assets to help rebuild the nation. The head of the European Union’s executive arm said the bloc would try to gather international support for a “specialised court backed by the United Nations to investigate and prosecute ...
Read More »EU backs further delays to Hungary funding
Bloomberg The European Commission recommended delaying the disbursement of crucial funding to Hungary, saying Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government has failed to allay its concerns over graft and the erosion of the rule of law. The EU’s executive arm said member states should conditionally approve Hungary’s Covid-era recovery plan, but Budapest would first have to comply with a set of ...
Read More »Thai court upholds key electoral changes as national vote looms
Bloomberg Thailand’s constitutional court upheld a move by the majority of lawmakers to change key electoral rules that benefit bigger parties, clearing the last legal challenge ahead of the next general election expected early next year. The draft election bill requires parties to clinch more votes to get one of the 100 party-list seats in the 500-member House of Representatives ...
Read More »Banks stuck with $42 billion debt seize chance to offload it
Bloomberg Banks in the US and Europe with around $42 billion of buyout debt stuck on their balance sheets are making the most of their last chance to get rid of it this year. Stabilisation in the leveraged loan and high yield bond markets has led to an opening for deals — including for bonds and loans tied to ...
Read More »China’s yuan extends advance as reopening bets boost sentiment
Bloomberg The yuan extended gains, jumping to its strongest in nearly two weeks, as hopes over a relaxation of China’s Covid curbs stoked optimism about the country’s economy and fueled appetite for riskier assets. The currency surged as much as 1.1% to 7.0797 per dollar, as speculation over China reopening dominated market sentiment on Wednesday afternoon. The yuan has been ...
Read More »HK dollar strengthens to past strong half of trading band
Bloomberg The rally in the Hong Kong dollar extended, with the currency strengthening to the strong half of its trading band as rising borrowing costs discouraged traders to short it. The currency rose about 0.15% to 7.7986 per dollar Wednesday, passing the midpoint of its 7.75-7.85 trading band for the first time since February. The surge came as the ...
Read More »HSBC surges in Hong Kong on dividend bets after Canada sale
Bloomberg HSBC Holdings Plc shares rose after the lender agreed to sell its Canadian unit for C$13.5 billion ($10 billion) in cash and said it’s “proactively†considering a one-time dividend or fresh stock buyback. The shares gained 2.2% in Hong Kong, the biggest gain since November 15. The London-headquartered lender’s dividend payout is an important focus for Hong Kong’s retail ...
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