International News

Bloomberg Eka Tjipta Widjaja, who became a coconut and palm-oil trader at the age of 15 before building a multi-billion dollar empire with businesses spanning paper and pulp to financial services, has died. Widjaja, 98, passed away at his home in Jakarta on Saturday, said Gandi Sulistiyanto, a managing director at Sinar Mas Group. The founder of Sinar Mas was ...

Bloomberg After posting the best quarter in four years, Indian bonds are pitted against a familiar foe: likely record debt sales by the government to finance populist measures before national elections due by May. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration may announce plans to borrow 6.4 trillion rupees ($90 billion) for the next fiscal year in its budget, according to the ...

Bloomberg A no-deal Brexit could create yet another headache for the European Union as it prepares to hand dozens of UK-based companies a tax bill that is expected to top $1.5 billion. With just over two months left until Britain’s scheduled departure date of March 29, time is running out for the European Commission to order the UK to recoup ...

Bloomberg Uber Technologies Inc. Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said it was “possible” the ride-hailing giant would look for outside investors for its self-driving car unit, but isn’t currently searching for backers. The company’s pouring large, undisclosed sums of money into its Advanced Technologies Group, which includes the company’s self-driving car research as well as plans to build VTOL (vertical ...

Bloomberg Swedish unemployment rose for a second month in December as job seekers flocked to the labour market at the tail-end of a long economic expansion. The seasonally-adjusted rate rose to 6.4 percent, up from a revised 6.2 percent in November, Statistics Sweden said. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected a rate of 6.2 percent in December. Swedish unemployment remains ...

Bloomberg Strong US demand and a tight job market have given companies a chance to raise prices coming into this year, and they’re testing the waters gingerly. From consumer goods and airlines to railroads, businesses made attempts to recover higher costs including rising pay for workers, or simply lifted prices to try to boost profit margins amid healthy sales, according ...

Bloomberg China will join a group including the US and the European Union in negotiating new rules to cover the $25 trillion e-commerce market. The EU and 47 other members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) launched the discussions, according to a statement. If successful, a digital trade accord hashed out through the Geneva-based trade body would establish a baseline ...

Bloomberg Key iPhone assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, also known as Foxconn Technology Group, is increasing its presence in Vietnam and India amid the growing trade spat between the US and China. In a series of filings, the company said it had injected up to $213.5 million into an Indian unit between September and January for “long-term investment,” and ...

Bloomberg China’s foreign minister urged countries not to use “fabricated” excuses to block Huawei Technologies Co, as Vodafone Group Plc joined a list of companies that are shunning the telecommunications equipment supplier. “Using national power to tarnish and take measures against a certain company, without any evidence, is both unfair and immoral,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters as he ...

Bloomberg Beleaguered Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services may appoint an auditor to look into the financial statements of the company and its subsidiaries dating back five years, the Economic Times reported, citing people with direct knowledge of the matter. The newly appointed company would also scrutinise the role of IL&FS’ previous auditors, EY, Deloitte, and KPMG. The report would have ...