International News

  Bloomberg China National Chemical Corp. has secured commitments from lenders on a $12.7 billion loan for its purchase of Swiss pesticides producer Syngenta AG, people familiar with the matter said. The Beijing-based company, known as ChemChina, attracted 17 banks for the financing, according to the people, who aren’t authorized to speak publicly and asked not to be identified. The ...

  Bloomberg India’s top iron ore miner is feeling the squeeze despite a global rally in the price of the steel-making material. NMDC Ltd. has cut prices about 6 percent in 2016 even as iron ore climbed 36 percent internationally. Challenges include record domestic supplies, moderating local steel demand and transport costs on India’s clogged railway. “Transport costs are prohibitive,” ...

AFP New British leader Theresa May sought to start shaping her country’s post-EU access to world markets on Monday, but faced a Japanese warning over the fallout from Brexit and the US saying it was not its first priority. In the wake of its vote to leave the European Union, Britain must renegotiate its access to world markets, an issue ...

  AFP Activity in Britain’s crucial services sector recorded a record jump in August, rebounding strongly from a slump immediately following the country’s vote to exit the EU, a survey showed on Monday. The latest Purchasing Managers’ Index data mirrors a strong recovery for the manufacturing PMI month-on-month, indicating that Britain is likely to avoid a recession following the outcome ...

  AFP The German government on Monday announced the start of a voluntary recall of 630,000 vehicles to fix emissions irregularities uncovered in the wake of Volkswagen’s “Dieselgate” scandal. The federal transport authority KBA said in a statement it would begin the recall with refits for 10,500 Porsche Macan 4x4s, one of the luxury automaker’s best sellers. A German inquiry ...

  AFP German auto giant Volkswagen could face penalties and compensation claims over its diesel emissions scandal under European consumer protection law, a top EU official told newspaper Die Welt in remarks published on Monday. “In most member states, Volkswagen clearly infringed consumer protection law,” justice and consumer protection commissioner Vera Jourova said. “I think it’s therefore necessary that we ...

  AP The 19-country eurozone lost some economic momentum in August, largely because of a slowdown in Germany, a closely watched survey showed Monday, days ahead of another possible stimulus package from the European Central Bank. Financial information company IHS Markit said its purchasing managers’ index — a broad gauge of economic activity — for the eurozone fell to a ...

  Bloomberg The dollar slumped against its major peers after disappointing U.S. economic data last week cut the chance of a September interest-rate increase to about one in three. A gauge of the greenback retreated after two weeks of gains. Friday’s below-forecast payrolls data, which came on the heels of a surprise manufacturing slowdown, helped lower the prospect of a ...

  Bloomberg China should keep the 50 percent cap on foreign ownership in local passenger-vehicle joint ventures for at least another five to eight years to ensure Chinese carmakers are ready for full-fledged competition, according to the state-backed auto association. The government can consider lifting the limit on different parts of the automotive industry according to their maturity, starting with ...

  Bloomberg Tencent Holdings Ltd. has surpassed China Mobile Ltd. to become the country’s most valuable corporation, underscoring the growing importance of a vibrant private economy over lumbering state-owned enterprise. Tencent rose 4.2 percent to HK$210.20 in Hong Kong on Monday, reaching a market value of HK$1.99 trillion ($256.6 billion) and joining the ranks of the world’s 10 largest public ...