June, 2020

• 11 June

  Garuda wins approval to extend $500m debt

  

  Bloomberg Indonesian flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia won approval from investors to extend the maturity of a $500 million sukuk, easing a cash squeeze as the airline battles falling passenger demand during the coronavirus pandemic. The state-owned airline, whose passenger traffic fell 91% in April from a year earlier, said in a statement that investors holding 90.88% of the aggregate ...

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• 11 June

  Heathrow cuts front-line posts after UK imposes quarantine

  

  Bloomberg London Heathrow airport said it has begun cutting front-line jobs after a recovery in passenger numbers was delayed by Britain’s introduction this week of a quarantine rule for incoming travellers. Europe’s busiest airport will initially seek voluntary departures after agreeing a severance plan with unions, it said in a statement. The hub has already eliminated 500 management posts. The ...

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• 11 June

  Khazanah mulls providing up to $1.2b Malaysia Airlines aid

  

  Bloomberg Khazanah Nasional Bhd, Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, is considering providing as much as 5 billion ringgit ($1.2 billion) to the national flag carrier to see it through the coronavirus-induced slump in bookings, according to people familiar with the matter. Malaysia Airlines Bhd would use the fresh capital to resume some operations it has suspended, the people said. If it ...

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• 11 June

  Ocado raises $1.3b for e-comm growth

  Bloomberg Ocado Group Plc is raising just over 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) through a share placement, retail offer and convertible bonds to fund expansion of online grocery shopping in an era of social distancing. The company said on Thursday it’s getting 657 million pounds via the share placement and retail offer and 350 million pounds through the convertible bond ...

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• 11 June

  Trump hits road to press reopening US economy

  

  Bloomberg President Donald Trump is setting off on a trip aimed at delivering a message to the American people: It’s time to get back to normal after the pandemic. Trump hits the road on Thursday for Dallas, where he’ll hold his first in-person fundraiser in months. He’s expected to spend the rest of the weekend at his New Jersey golf ...

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• 11 June

  Mass says EU urges Palestine-Israel talks

  

  Bloomberg The EU supports the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and rejects any annexation plans for Palestinian territories, German foreign minister Heiko Maas said. “We are very worried about the repercussions of the annexation decision,” Maas said during the joint press conference with Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi in Amman. “We in the EU agree and are committed to ...

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• 11 June

  China rejects Australian claim of coercion

  

  Bloomberg China denied claims that it was targeting Australia by warning its citizens not to travel there due to the risk of discrimination and racist attacks, after Australia’s leader accused China of attempting to coerce his country. “Our embassy and consulate in Australia also received a lot of complaints and appeals for assistance,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua ...

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• 11 June

  UK scientists defy PM to speak out on ‘virus’

  

  Bloomberg UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is battling to contain a public split with his own top scientific advisers, after they warned the government must learn from the catalog of failures it made during the coronavirus crisis. Standing next to Johnson on live television, Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty highlighted a “long list” of potentially flawed decisions on the pandemic ...

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• 11 June

  Human Rights Watch blasts S Korea over leaflet crackdown

  

  Bloomberg A top official at a global human rights organisation criticised South Korea for trying to shut down two activist groups who sent anti-Kim Jong-un leaflets by balloon across the border into North Korea. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said a decision by South Korea to revoke the licenses and seek prosecution for the groups is ...

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• 11 June

  Pakistan opposition leader Sharif tests Covid-positive

  Bloomberg Pakistan’s opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif has quarantined himself at home after testing positive for the coronavirus, raising concerns about his health as he is a cancer survivor, his party leader said. Sharif, 68, took many tests since he was having symptoms of the virus, said Marriyum Aurangzeb, a spokesperson for Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party, on Geo television. He ...

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