International News

Bloomberg For jewellers in the world’s second-largest gold market, business is yet to recover from the slump that followed India’s decision to ban high-value currency notes a year ago. Ask Bachhraj Bamalwa, who has spent four decades in the industry. As PM Narendra Modi prepared to address the nation last November to announce demonetisation, Bamalwa was busy wrapping up a ...

Bloomberg If time is money, big M&A is getting a lot costlier in the European Union thanks to a tactic increasingly deployed by the bloc’s merger watchdogs in Brussels. Bayer AG’s bid for Monsanto Co is just one of a growing number of deals stalled by regulators stopping the clock more than once during strictly timetabled in-depth investigations to demand ...

Bloomberg Two of Greece’s biggest projects—together valued at about $12.8 billion— have stalled on bureaucratic and legal wranglings, raising questions about the country’s ability to draw investments it desperately needs for an economic recovery. Lamda Development, which is managing the Hellinikon site, the biggest real estate investment in country, said that Greece’s efforts to go back on terms already agreed ...

Bloomberg The UK government plans to create an independent environmental standards watchdog for England after Brexit, according to Environment Secretary Michael Gove. A consultation on the powers and scope of the body will be started early next year, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said. With policies set out in full only in the EU treaties, environmental decisions ...

Bloomberg Apple Inc., seeking a breakthrough product to succeed the iPhone, aims to have technology ready for an augmented-reality headset in 2019 and could ship a product as early as 2020. Unlike the current generation of virtual reality headsets that use a smartphone as the engine and screen, Apple’s device will have its own display and run on a new ...

Bloomberg Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Singles’ Day shopping bonanza broke last year’s all-time high of 120.7 billion yuan ($18.2 billion) by 1:09 pm in Beijing, with about 11 hours still to go before the final bell. The annual frenzy had already hit $8.6 billion in sales in the first hour after starting at midnight, and by 8 am some 82 ...

Bloomberg MAP Active, the Indonesian sporting goods retailer backed by CVC Capital Partners, is planning a domestic initial public offering that could raise about $300 million, people with knowledge of the matter said. The company, which is a unit of Jakarta-listed PT Mitra Adiperkasa, aims to sell shares as soon as next year, according to the people. It has invited ...

Bloomberg Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. is considering introducing vehicles made by its South Korean subsidiary in the US, according to Managing Director Pawan Goenka. Mahindra hasn’t yet decided which SsangYong Motor Co. models it will sell in the US, Goenka said in an interview in Mumbai. The automaker is waiting for the board of its South Korean unit to approve ...

Bloomberg The euphoria around Chinese fintech listings may be starting to wane. Online lender PPDAI Group Inc. raised $221 million after pricing its US initial public offering below the bottom end of a marketed range. The stock climbed 1.2 percent to $13.15 as of 12:52 pm in New York. Rival Qudian Inc. fell below its offer price the week after ...

Bloomberg European Union chief negotiator Michel Barnier raised the prospect of Brexit talks failing to reach a breakthrough by year-end, saying the UK has two weeks to come up with a better offer on the financial settlement. Barnier called for “real and sincere progress” on the three divorce issues, which include the separation bill, the rights of EU citizens and ...