Bloomberg Standard Bank Group Ltd has named a female Black person to chair Africa’s biggest lender by assets for the first time. Nonkululeko Nyembezi has been appointed as chairman-designate effective June 1, according to a statement. She replaces Thulani Gcabashe, who will retire after the annual general meeting on May 31. “It is hugely significant to us that the Standard …

  Bloomberg US futures and stocks rise on Friday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell pushed back against speculation of steeper interest-rate hikes. Risk sentiment was boosted by a rebound in cryptocurrencies. Contracts on the S&P 500 gained 1% and those on the Nasdaq 100 climbed 1.6%. Twitter Inc shares plunged as much as 26% in New York premarket trading …

  Bloomberg Indonesia’s stock benchmark avoided a correction after an intraday tumble of more than 10% from its high in April, dragged by technology shares. The Jakarta Composite Index of shares closed little changed on Friday, capping this week’s losses at 8.7%. That’s the worst week since March 2020, when the country shut its international borders to curb the pandemic. …

  Bloomberg European natural gas prices jumped following disruptions to a key transit route through Ukraine, and as Germany said Russia was using energy as a weapon in an escalating clash over supply. The benchmark contract surged more than 22%, with shipments from Russia via Ukraine set to fall by about 30% following interruptions at a cross-border entry point as …

Bloomberg Shell Plc targets a 10-fold jump in electric-vehicle charging points in the UK as part of plans to ramp up investments into cleaner energy. The company will install 100,000 chargers in the country by 2030, according to a statement. It’s the latest move by an oil and gas major to refocus its traditional business as investors, governments and consumers …

  Bloomberg China’s industrialised southern provinces are racing to restock coal in case demand recovers later this month or supplies are disrupted by the heavy rains sweeping the region. The economic powerhouse of Guangdong has asked its utilities to add another 5% to inventories this month, according to local media, while neighbouring Guizhou has set aside more money for coal …

Bloomberg Colombia’s Avianca Group International Ltd and Brazil’s Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA will unite under a common ownership structure, creating what they say will be one of the largest airline groups in Latin America. The airlines’ principal shareholders agreed to form Abra Group Ltd, a closely held company incorporated in the UK, the carriers said. While the airlines will …

Bloomberg The European Union is relaxing its guidance for mask wearing on flights starting next week even as many airlines have already abandoned those rules with Covid-19 concerns easing. Wearing face masks at airports and inflight should be aligned with national measures, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said in a protocol. If either the departure or destination states require …

Bloomberg Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc said renewed coronavirus restrictions in China are holding back crucial service revenue from its jetliner engines even as markets begin to recover elsewhere. Over the first four months of 2022, flying hours, which determine revenue-generating maintenance visits, were 42% higher than the prior year, London-based Rolls-Royce said. “Passenger demand is recovering on routes where travel restrictions …

Bloomberg Activist investor Macellum Capital Management’s bid to overhaul the board of Kohl’s Corp was rejected by investors. Kohl’s shareholders voted against all 10 directors nominated by Macellum, according to a preliminary tally, the retailer said in a statement. The hedge fund has been pressuring the company for two years to overhaul its board or sell itself. That seems unlikely …