Bloomberg Fidelity National Information Services Inc. agreed to acquire Worldpay Inc. for about $34 billion in cash and stock, the biggest deal ever in the booming international payments sector. FIS, based in Jacksonville, Florida, will also assume Worldpay’s debt, bringing the enterprise value of the deal to about $43 billion, the companies said on Monday. FIS’s current shareholders will own ...
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Brazil’s sugar giants making output harder to predict
Bloomberg Brazil’s sugar mills can make the switch into ethanol easier than ever before, making it harder to predict how much sweetener will come from the world’s biggest producer and exporter. Take the case of Sao Paulo-based Usina Batatais. Just two years ago, no matter how low sugar prices got, the company had no choice but send at least 45 ...
Read More »Vodafone invests in fund generating money off late payments
Bloomberg Big companies often leave their suppliers hanging for weeks without pay, but Vodafone Group Plc is taking this a step further: it’s investing in a fund that makes money off the delay. The British phone operator poured 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) into the 2.4 billion-euro fund run by beleaguered Swiss asset manager GAM Holding AG, which generates returns ...
Read More »Mohamed, Afghan president discuss ties
Abu Dhabi / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan, discussed bilateral ties between the two friendly nations, and means to advance cooperation between them. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed welcomed the visit of the Afghan President and his ...
Read More »Dubai comprises 30 percent of free zones in Middle East
Dubai / WAM Free zones are now present in more than 80 percent of states in the world, including emerging countries, and comprise nearly 30 percent of global trade. Asia region consists of the largest number of free zones in the world, followed by North America, South America, and the Middle East. With 160 free zones (7.3 percent), the Middle ...
Read More »Rakez introduces business set-up package for students
RAS AL KHAIMAH / WAM Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (Rakez) announced launching of Mubader Package, an exclusive business set-up package for final year students and fresh graduates to support young talents in pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams. “This era is brimming with young, creative talents who have real appetite for entrepreneurship. Their drive and ideas are endless; all they need ...
Read More »UAE adopts AI to build skills of future generations
Dubai / Emirates Business Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, said that the UAE Government adopts the uses of artificial intelligence technologies in the education sector in order to build abilities and skills of future generations and enhance their educational experience. This came during the launch of UAE AI Camp second edition, in the presence of ...
Read More »Low inflation in Southeast Asia puts experts on rate-cut watch
Bloomberg Low inflation sweeping across Southeast Asia is here to stay, raising the odds some of the region’s biggest economies may reverse course on interest rates this year. Food prices have been falling across the region, driving down inflation and pushing up real interest rates. Malaysia is already in deflation, while others like Thailand are seeing almost stagnant price growth. ...
Read More »China calls for US, European firms to join Belt and Road
Bloomberg China pledged greater cooperation with American and European companies on Belt and Road ventures, in its latest bid to counter criticism that President Xi Jinping’s initiative is focused on projecting Beijing’s influence at the expense of host countries. China wants to combine its manufacturing and construction know-how with the advanced technology of Western firms on the global trade-and-infrastructure program, ...
Read More »Germany’s bid to catch up on digital age hinges on 5G auction
Bloomberg Germany’s effort to catch up to the digital age starts this week when the gavel falls on the auction for the airwaves to build ultra-fast 5G wireless networks. The rollout of the technology is critical as Europe’s biggest economy seeks to transition away from its reliance on old-school engineering. The country lags behind the likes of Albania and Moldova ...
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