Bloomberg Austrian conservative leader Sebastian Kurz expects to strike a deal to govern in a coalition with the environmentalist Greens by mid-January, breaking new ground in Austrian politics half a year after his alliance with nationalists ended in scandal. Kurz, 33, and Werner Kogler, his 58-year-old counterpart at the Greens, said they will try to iron out any outstanding issues ...
Read More »French unions keep pressure on Macron with new protests
Bloomberg Labor unions have called for marches and protests across France as they seek to maintain momentum in their month-long opposition to President Emmanuel Macron’s reform of the pension system. Protesters planned to gather at the Gare du Nord station in Paris to start one of the marches, while the CGT union’s railroad branch said they will block a train ...
Read More »Tesla all set to deliver first China-built car on Monday
Bloomberg Tesla Inc will start delivering China-built cars on Monday, a major milestone for Elon Musk’s company as it expands in the world’s largest electric-vehicle market. The first 15 units of Model 3 sedans assembled at Tesla’s new multi-billion-dollar Shanghai plant — its first outside the US — will be delivered to company employees on December 30, capping several months ...
Read More »Billionaire Ambani’s retail unit valued at $34b in share swap
Bloomberg A stock swap offer to help shareholders of billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s unlisted retail business monetise their investment has valued the unit at $34 billion. Share owners in Reliance Retail Ltd can exchange four shares for one of its listed parent Reliance Industries Ltd, according to a so-called scheme of arrangement posted on the group’s website. With Reliance’s market capitalization ...
Read More »China revises law on IPO, hikes penalties for fraud
Bloomberg China’s top legislature approved changes to the nation’s Securities Law, including formalising registration-based initial public offerings after years of reviews, as it eased listing rules and stiffened penalties for violations in the country’s $21 trillion capital markets. The revisions are effective from March 1, according to a report from a government website citing decisions made by the National People’s ...
Read More »Regulators halt Japan Post insurance sales
Bloomberg Japan’s financial regulator ordered a three-month suspension of insurance sales by two units of Japan Post Holdings Co as punishment for improper sales practices. The Financial Services Agency said it found examples of Japan Post customers being sold unduly expensive policies, without proper explanation of what they were buying. The penalty applies to the group’s mail and insurance subsidiaries, ...
Read More »Australia hit by heatwave, raising wildfire threat
Bloomberg Australia is in the grip of another heatwave with temperatures forecast to soar over the weekend, exacerbating deadly wildfires that have ravaged the nation for months. Severe heat will spread across the southeast of the country over the next few days, building to “extreme†conditions in some areas, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Parts of western Sydney are ...
Read More »CEO of top US power market under fire before he starts
Bloomberg The incoming head of the largest US power market is under pressure even before he begins his new job. A consumer watchdog has accused Manu Asthana — who starts as chief executive officer of PJM Interconnection LLC on January 1 — of mismanagement at his previous company. That risks casting a shadow over his new role, in which he ...
Read More »Nigeria LNG is planning to boost output by 35%
Bloomberg Nigeria LNG Ltd decided to proceed with the construction of the country’s seventh liquefied natural gas production train, which will boost the company’s output by 35%. Train 7 will increase the company’s competitiveness in the global LNG market, state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corp, said in a statement on its Twitter account. “We are going to put in place a ...
Read More »Trump’s trade wars expose an abiding truth
As the year ends, a partial and brief ceasefire seems imminent in Donald Trump’s trade war on the world. The United States and China may sign a deal as early as next month. But make no mistake: The protectionist impulse behind the trade war remains as ineradicable as ever. Nor should it be forgotten that economic nationalism has guided the ...
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