Bloomberg In balmy Singapore, a tiny island nation that sits almost directly on the equator, it’s usually flowers, meat and seafood that gets whipped away into SATS Ltd’s cool rooms upon landing at Changi Airport. Now one of the world’s biggest ground handlers is gearing up for a more vital task. Like cargo operators everywhere, SATS is preparing for the ...

Bloomberg The economic blow from coronavirus has wiped out 81 million jobs across Asia-Pacific this year, with women and young people disproportionately affected, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). “Covid-19 has inflicted a hammer-blow on the region’s labour markets,” Chihoko Asada Miyakawa, the group’s regional director for Asia and the Pacific, said in a statement. “Low levels of social ...

Bloomberg Brexit trade talks headed into a decisive weekend with neither side confident of a deal after a frantic 24 hours exposed just how far apart the UK and European Union (EU) still are on an issue that’s hampered the talks since March. With officials from both sides expecting a conclusion one way or the other within the next two ...

Bloomberg The death toll from a suicide bombing aimed at Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Roble has increased to 14. Among those killed in the explosion were members of the prime minister’s security team and top army officials, including the commander of the 21st Division of the Somali National Army, according to Somali police officer Nour Hersi. Ten people died on ...

Bloomberg The Trump administration told lawmakers that it plans to close its two remaining consulates in Russia, CNN reported, citing a State Department notification dated December 10. The US State Department intends to shut the Vladivostok consulate and suspend operations at the consulate in Yekaterinburg, according to a copy of the notification to Congress that was obtained by CNN. That ...

Bloomberg More than 300 students kidnapped in northwest Nigeria last week have been freed after being held captive for six days, according to officials. In all, 344 students have been released, Abdu Labaran, a spokesman for Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina state, where the mass kidnapping occurred, said by phone. Nigerian authorities didn’t pay a ransom to secure the release ...

Bloomberg India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended his government’s new laws that seek to deregulate food procurement, as tens of thousands of farmers continue to protest on the outskirts of capital New Delhi. Modi listed government measures taken to improve procurement and called on state administrations implementing the laws to explain them to farmers. He blamed opposition parties for fuelling ...

Bloomberg President-elect Joe Biden’s advisers are preparing for potential negotiations with Nicolas Maduro’s regime in Venezuela in an effort to end the Western Hemisphere’s worst economic and humanitarian crisis, according to three people familiar with the matter. The Biden administration intends to push for free and fair elections, offering sanctions relief in return, said the people, who requested anonymity because ...

Bloomberg The creation of a European banking champion could be among a slew of transformative deals in the sector next year, according to top financial dealmakers at Bank of America Corp. The region’s banking industry is suddenly abuzz with transactions, driving merger and acquisition volumes up 27% year-on-year to $37 billion since the start of July, data compiled by Bloomberg ...

Bloomberg Lloyds Banking Group Plc is canceling bonuses for all staff this year as the Covid-19 pandemic weighs heavily on its earnings. A spokesperson for the bank confirmed it will not pay out any “group performance share” awards in 2020 after rewarding staff with about 310 million pounds ($419 million) last year. The news was reported earlier by the Financial ...