International News

Bloomberg Toyota Motor Corp is forecasting sales of 10.77 million vehicles worldwide during 2020, nudging it closer to No 1 automaker Volkswagen AG. Toyota’s outlook, which includes vehicles sold by subsidiaries Daihatsu Motor Co and truck maker Hino Motors Ltd, shows slight growth from an estimated 10.72 million vehicles this year. Volkswagen sold 10.8 million units in 2018 and said ...

Bloomberg The European Union (EU) agreed on a landmark green-finance regulation, advancing the bloc’s push to embed environmental goals in standards for banks, money managers and insurers. EU lawmakers approved an accord on the list of sustainable activities, following agreement by the bloc’s member states earlier in the day. Policymakers had to overcome last-minute divisions over the kinds of technologies ...

Bloomberg The UK labour market and manufacturing sector displayed further signs of nervousness around the now-postponed October 31 deadline to leave the European Union and in the run-up to last week’s general election. Vacancies fell below 800,000 for the first time in two years and wages grew at their slowest annual pace since 2018, the Office for National Statistics said. ...

Bloomberg European car sales rose 4.5% in November, the third straight monthly gain for automakers that have been battered all year by economic woes, trade wars and a broader industry slowdown. The monthly rise wasn’t enough to turn the year around so far, with cumulative sales since January still down 0.3%, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association said. Four of the ...

Bloomberg The pickup in China’s economy in November adds to the optimism from the trade deal announced last week, though plenty of downside risks remain as the nation heads into 2020. Industrial output and private consumption were both much stronger than expected, with production jumping 6.2% from a year earlier and retail sales climbing 8%, data released on Monday showed. ...

Bloomberg Indonesia’s trade deficit blew out to $1.3 billion in November as imports of consumer goods surged and exports contracted for a 13th straight month. Exports fell 5.7% from a year ago to $14 billion compared to a 2.8% decline forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists, as the US-China trade war and a global slowdown continued to weigh on ...

Bloomberg Beverage cans manufacturer Pakistan Aluminium Beverage Cans Ltd (PABC), a joint venture of the UK’s Ashmore Group and Pakistan’s Liberty Group Ltd, is exploring a sale that could fetch about $100 million, people with knowledge of the matter said. The shareholders are working with an adviser on the potential sale, said the people, who asked not to be identified ...

Bloomberg Hong Kong’s largest television broadcaster said it is cutting its workforce, citing an economic slowdown and a “severe situation” as months of social unrest have rocked the city. Television Broadcasts Ltd’s (TVB) 3,500-person staff — excluding artists — will be reduced by 10% to improve cost efficiency, according to an email to staff members from Chief Executive Officer Mark ...

Bloomberg Blackstone Group Inc has promoted Amit Jain as its senior managing director and one of its partners in India as the investment giant expands in Asia’s third largest economy. Representative for Blackstone confirmed an earlier Bloomberg News report on Jain’s appointment, which will be effective from January 1. Jain, who joined the investment firm in 2010, is a managing ...

Bloomberg Just when German factories appeared to be exiting a yearlong slump that battered the country’s economy, it worsened again. The last surveys of purchasing managers for 2019 highlight the dire state of industry in Europe’s largest economy, which was one of the largest drags on the 19-nation euro zone this year. There were also disappointing numbers out of France ...