August, 2016

• 27 August

  Singapore air quality improves to ‘moderate’ from ‘unhealthy’

  

    Bloomberg Singapore’s air quality improved, falling to “moderate” levels as haze from Indonesian forest fires eased Saturday. The three-hourly air pollution index slid to 83 as of 5 p.m., according to the National Environment Agency. Readings up to 100 are classed as “moderate.” The index rose above 100 at noon after it had climbed to 215 on Friday afternoon, ...

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• 27 August

  Indian stocks post second weekly decline

  

    Bloomberg Indian equities declined, led by lenders and software as investors refrained from taking fresh bets before Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s speech later on Friday. Yes Bank Ltd. fell the most in a month, while State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI Bank Ltd. lost about 1 percent each. Wipro Ltd. and HCL Technologies Ltd. declined at least ...

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• 27 August

  Wanda to build $9.5bn culture project in China

  

    Bloomberg Billionaire Wang Jianlin’s Dalian Wanda Group Co. agreed to build a 63 billion yuan ($9.5 billion) culture-and-tourism project in northeastern China, in its latest effort to become an entertainment giant rivaling Walt Disney Co. Wanda signed a framework agreement on Friday with the government in Jinan City, Shandong Province, in northern China, the group said in a statement. ...

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• 27 August

  Agricultural bank plans to raise $12 billion over three years

  

    Bloomberg Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. said it will sell as much as 80 billion yuan ($12 billion) of Tier-2 securities over three years, joining the latest wave of fundraising by Chinese lenders. The bank needs to strengthen its capital buffers, President Zhao Huan told reporters in Beijing on Friday, adding that the lender aims to maintain a stable ...

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• 27 August

  President Rousseff’s allies fight impeachment in Brazil turmoil

  

    Brasília / AFP Angry quarrels erupted at suspended Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment trial, while her key ally, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, faced corruption charges on a day of turmoil for Latin America’s largest country. Day two of Rousseff’s Senate trial in the capital Brasilia began with shouting matches that forced Supreme Court Chief Justice Ricardo Lewandowski to ...

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• 27 August

  Colombia truce ‘will not stop govt fighting crime’

  

    Bogota / AFP Colombia’s defense minister insisted the historic ceasefire with FARC rebels will not end the country’s commitment to fight crime, as a judge issued arrest warrants for leaders of another group also pushing for a peace deal. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos ordered a definitive ceasefire with the Marxist guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), ...

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• 27 August

  UNSC condemns N Korea missile launches, vows new measures

  

    United Nations / AFP The UN Security Council strongly condemned North Korea for test-firing ballistic missiles and agreed to take “significant measures” in response the latest series of launches. The 15-member council issued the toughly-worded condemnation in a unanimous statement drafted by the United States and backed by China, Pyongyang’s main ally. Council members agreed to “continue to closely ...

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• 27 August

  Ghost migrants eke out life on Greek-Macedonia border

  

    Idomeni / AFP Inside the sleepy canteen of Idomeni, the Greek railway post on the border with Macedonia, the ring of a phone breaks the endless silence. Stratos, the manager, jots down the order: five portions of okra, three of chicken, four salads, 10 bottles of water. There is no address. The delivery is made out to the wooded hills ...

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• 27 August

  US, Russia move closer to new Syria ceasefire after talks

  

    Geneva / AFP Washington and Moscow have made key steps towards agreeing a new ceasefire in Syria, but a final deal has not been reached, US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart said after talks. Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the comments after the marathon talks at a luxury hotel on the shores of ...

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• 27 August

  16 migrants dead in Moscow warehouse fire

    Moscow / AFP At least 16 migrant workers mostly from Kyrgyzstan died in a fire that broke out at a Moscow warehouse early Saturday, Russian authorities said. “When the fire was being put out, a room that had been cut off by the flames was discovered,” TASS news agency quoted the regional branch of the emergency ministry’s press service ...

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