The rivalry between Southeast Asia’s leading super-apps just got more intense — and more intensely oriented towards fintech. Last month, Singapore’s Grab Holdings Inc said it’s going public in the US through the largest-ever merger with a blank-check company. And now, Indonesia’s Gojek is merging with e-commerce firm PT Tokopedia to create a digital behemoth in the world’s fourth-most-populous nation. ...

The future of money apparently looks something like this: Tesla Inc techno-king Elon Musk posts a one-word tweet — “Indeed” — that suggests his company may have sold its stash of Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency’s price sinks to a three-month low. Musk then posts a new tweet, clarifying that Tesla hasn’t sold any. Prices perk up again. Cue much gnashing of ...

Singapore has suffered a big reversal in its battle against Covid-19. More accustomed to applause than demerits for all but stamping out the virus, the city-state is returning to lockdown-like conditions. Authorities are now scrambling to deploy a mix of scalpels and hammers to contain a recent outbreak. Mastering this balance will be the key to any economic recovery. The ...

The Bank of England (BOE) has four big job vacancies this year and there’s hope that several will be filled by women. Even if that happens, central banks still have some way to go to tackle the lack of diversity in policymaking. Without more progress, this risks becoming a crisis of legitimacy. Policymakers’ actions touch everyone. As a matter of ...

Bloomberg Alibaba Group Holding and partners are investing $400 million in Vietnamese conglomerate Masan Group’s retail arm, a deal that will expand the Chinese e-commerce giant’s online groceries business in Southeast Asia. Alibaba and Baring Private Equity Asia are leading a consortium that will take a 5.5% stake in The CrownX, which holds Masan’s interests in Masan Consumer Holdings and ...

Bloomberg Magnit PJSC, Russia’s largest grocery chain, plans to acquire Dixy Holding Ltd convenience-store network in a 92.4 billion ruble ($1.25 billion) deal, a move that will boost its presence in Moscow and St Petersburg. The price may be adjusted on net debt and net working capital changes as of the closing date, according to a statement. Pending regulatory approval, ...

Bloomberg For almost a year, Josh Scullion has been chasing the sunshine. The 32-year-old bank worker from Teesside, England, originally booked a package holiday to Mexico in July 2020 with his fiancee and their newborn daughter. That trip was cancelled by tour operator TUI due to a coronavirus flare-up at the destination. A rescheduled Christmas break in the Canary Islands ...

Bloomberg Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc said it’s holding discussions with Boeing Co about a new aircraft program, lending more weight to rumblings that the US planemaker is stepping up work on all-new model that would plug a gap in its lineup. “It is fairly well documented that Boeing is exploring the opportunity for a new aircraft,” Rolls CEO Warren East said. ...

Bloomberg JetBlue Airways named Ursula Hurley, its head of treasury and investor relations, as acting chief financial officer after the resignation of Steve Priest, who’s taking the same post at EBay Inc. Priest’s departure is effective from June 11, the New York-based airline said in a statement. He’ll start at EBay on June 21, according to the online retailer. The ...

Bloomberg Burberry Group Plc’s sales remained below 2019 levels despite a quarterly jump, showing the British brand is trailing some luxury peers in recovering from the pandemic. The shares fell as much as 10%. Comparable store sales in the three months through March soared 32%, the company said in a statement. That was in line with its own forecast. Revenue ...