Bloomberg Financing to back the potential buyout of UK grocery firm Asda Group Ltd by a private equity sponsor could total just under four billion pounds ($5 billion), according to people familiar with the information. Three bidders are still involved in the process after final bids were submitted on Monday, Apollo Global Management, Lone Star Global Acquisitions Ltd, and TDR ...

Bloomberg Russian President Vladimir Putin is tightening his embrace of beleaguered ally Alexander Lukashenko as the Belarusian ruler intensifies a crackdown on month-long protests. Putin, who hosts Lukashenko for talks in Sochi on Monday, is determined opposition demonstrators won’t topple the Belarusian president, said five people close to the Kremlin, who asked not to be identified discussing internal policy. It’s ...

Bloomberg Ivory Coast opposition leader Henri Konan Bedie vowed to welcome back exiled citizens and free political prisoners should he be elected president of the world’s biggest cocoa producer in next month’s elections. “I pledge to take concrete and immediate measures for the unconditional return of all exiles,” he said to a packed rally of his Democratic Party of Ivory ...