Naspers’ chief Bekker defends keeping $132bn Tencent stake

Bloomberg Chairman Koos Bekker countered criticism Naspers Ltd. relies too heavily on its $132 billion stake in Chinese media company Tencent Holdings Ltd. by reminding investors that they would have been a lot poorer if he’d given in to similar pressure to sell the holding years ago. “Five years ago there was also a lot of unhappiness,” Bekker told shareholders ...

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Baidu sells food delivery unit to startup ‘Ele.me’

Bloomberg Baidu Inc. sold control of its unprofitable food delivery business to a startup backed by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. as the search engine cuts back on cash-burning ventures to focus on artificial intelligence Baidu will become a shareholder in Ele.me after the Alibaba-backed firm completes its purchase of the Waimai business, the companies said. No price was released and ...

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Smartphone maker HTC explores strategic options

Bloomberg HTC Corp., the beleaguered manufacturer that once ranked among the world’s top smartphone makers, is exploring options that could range from separating its virtual-reality business to a full sale of the company, according to people familiar with the matter. The Taiwanese firm is working with an adviser as it considers bringing in a strategic investor, selling its Vive virtual ...

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China industrial profits keep pace as factory inflation holds up

Bloomberg Chinese industrial firms maintained a profit surge, underscoring the economy’s resilience even amid slowing factory output and investment. Industrial profits increased 16.5 percent in July from a year earlier, versus the 19.1 percent pace a month earlier, the nation’s statistics bureau said on Sunday. The robust earnings are giving policy makers room to combat excessive industrial capacity and curb ...

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Changes to proposed sanctions on Hezbollah allay Lebanon’s fears

BEIRUT / Reuters Proposed tighter US sanctions on Hezbollah have been altered enough to allay fears of major damage to Lebanon’s economy, a sign Washington is taking concerns about Lebanese stability seriously, banking and political sources said. But banking figures told Reuters Lebanese authorities should not be complacent as US President Donald Trump’s future stance on Iran and its allies ...

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Labour wants UK stay in EU single market

Bloomberg The UK’s opposition Labour Party wants Britain to stay in the European Union’s single market for an extended period after it leaves the bloc, a shift in its position that could undermine Prime Minister Theresa May’s efforts to deliver her vision of Brexit. The proposal, which would mean no additional customs or migration controls in March 2019, would allow ...

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Won’t tolerate violence in name of faith: Modi

Bloomberg India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned countrymen against taking the law into their own hands in the name of religion, political ideology, faith of a person or culture. Modi spoke in the wake of large-scale rioting and arson in parts of northern India as thousands of followers protested a court ruling that convicted religious leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh ...

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Fighters withdraw after clashes in Yemen capital

DUBAI / Reuters Gunmen from both groups in a strained civil war alliance withdrew from streets in the Yemeni capital on Sunday after trading fire in unprecedented violence, officials from the two groups said. The clash late on Saturday between members of the Houthi movement and loyalists of a powerful former president killed at least three combatants and marked a ...

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France pledges support to stabilise post-IS Iraq

BAGHDAD / Reuters France will help reconstruction and reconciliation efforts in Iraq as it emerges from a war against IS, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said after talks with Iraqi officials in Baghdad. France is a main partner in the US-led coalition helping Baghdad fight the militants who seized parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014. The coalition provided ...

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Trump divides own party in pardoning Arpaio

Bloomberg President Donald Trump pardoned former Arizona county sheriff Joe Arpaio, using his first act of presidential clemency to give reprieve to a political supporter known — and criminally convicted — for his tough crackdown on illegal immigration. “Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is ...

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