Bloomberg Hong Kong’s economy ends the year wounded, with the chances for stabilisation in 2020 hanging on whether future protests are peaceful or lapse back into violence. Economists forecast a 1.3% contraction for 2019 and predict year-on-year declines will continue in the first two quarters of 2020. Yet the unrest has tapered in recent weeks after an electoral win for ...

Bloomberg Philippine authorities looked to soothe investor fears as uncertainty over the capital’s water service contracts triggered a stock rout of more than $2 billion. The government is “not thinking about” replacing Manila Water Co and Maynilad Water Services Inc as water concessionaires even as it seeks to renegotiate terms of their contracts, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told reporters. The ...

Bloomberg The brother of Asia’s richest man won a preliminary motion in a dispute with three Chinese banks seeking $680 million in defaulted loans, but still suffered a setback as a London judge called his evidence “implausible and highly unlikely” ahead of a full hearing next year. Judge David Waksman also said there is “a plain case” to issue an ...