Culture secretary ‘minded to’ intervene and ask Ofcom whether the £500m deal harms media plurality The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, intends to ask the UK’s media and competition watchdogs to examine the proposed £500m takeover of the Telegraph titles by the owner of the Daily Mail. Daily Mail & General Trust (DMGT) agreed a deal in November to buy the titles, in a move that will create a right-l...
Culture secretary ‘minded to’ intervene and ask Ofcom whether the £500m deal harms media plurality The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, intends to ask the UK’s media and competition watchdogs to examine the proposed £500m takeover of the Telegraph titles by the owner of the Daily Mail. Daily Mail & General Trust (DMGT) agreed a deal in November to buy the titles, in a move that will create a right-leaning publishing powerhouse. Continue reading...
Investing in real estate can help take your portfolio to the next level. It increases your diversification and enables you to generate passive income, thereby enhancing your risk-adjusted returns. These qualities are why most financial advisors recommend that investors have some exposure to real estate investment trusts (REITs). Here's one REIT that should be on every investor's radar and a promis...
Investing in real estate can help take your portfolio to the next level. It increases your diversification and enables you to generate passive income, thereby enhancing your risk-adjusted returns. These qualities are why most financial advisors recommend that investors have some exposure to real estate investment trusts (REITs). Here's one REIT that should be on every investor's radar and a promising REIT ETF to consider. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Hong Kong’s car trade has reacted with frustration to a sudden tightening of annual vehicle inspection rules, with leaders warning that owners of failed vehicles could face thousands of dollars in extra costs and significant delays. The backlash on Tuesday follows what they described as a “rushed” roll-out by the Transport Department, with the measures announced just days before they went into eff...
Hong Kong’s car trade has reacted with frustration to a sudden tightening of annual vehicle inspection rules, with leaders warning that owners of failed vehicles could face thousands of dollars in extra costs and significant delays. The backlash on Tuesday follows what they described as a “rushed” roll-out by the Transport Department, with the measures announced just days before they went into effect on Monday. The new rules impose much stricter requirements for private cars and light goods...
China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng delivers a keynote speech at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 20, 2026. Photo: WEF (Davos, Switzerland) — Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng issued a rebuke of rising global protectionism on Tuesday, warning that the international order risks devolving into a “law of the jungle” should major powers forsake multilateral trade rul...
China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng delivers a keynote speech at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 20, 2026. Photo: WEF (Davos, Switzerland) — Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng issued a rebuke of rising global protectionism on Tuesday, warning that the international order risks devolving into a “law of the jungle” should major powers forsake multilateral trade rules. Addressing political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum, He reaffirmed China’s commitment to a rules-based multilateral trading system centered on the World Trade Organization and the maintenance of open global markets. He criticized the “unilateral practices” of certain countries, which he said are destabilizing both the multilateral framework and the broader global economy.
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s game plan for this week. Cramer highlighted that the stock has been performing quite well after the CEO change, as he remarked: “After close, Intel reports. This stock’s been flying ever since Lip-Bu Tan came in as CEO. Under his leadership, Intel’s started to […]
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s game plan for this week. Cramer highlighted that the stock has been performing quite well after the CEO change, as he remarked: “After close, Intel reports. This stock’s been flying ever since Lip-Bu Tan came in as CEO. Under his leadership, Intel’s started to […]
In trading on Tuesday, shares of the Invesco Variable Rate Preferred ETF (Symbol: VRP) crossed below their 200 day moving average of $24.41, changing hands as low as $24.29 per share. Invesco Variable Rate Preferred shares are currently trading off about 0.1% on the day. The c
In trading on Tuesday, shares of the Invesco Variable Rate Preferred ETF (Symbol: VRP) crossed below their 200 day moving average of $24.41, changing hands as low as $24.29 per share. Invesco Variable Rate Preferred shares are currently trading off about 0.1% on the day. The c
In trading on Tuesday, shares of the iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (Symbol: GOVT) crossed below their 200 day moving average of $22.96, changing hands as low as $22.94 per share. iShares U.S. Treasury Bond shares are currently trading off about 0.3% on the day. The chart belo
In trading on Tuesday, shares of the iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (Symbol: GOVT) crossed below their 200 day moving average of $22.96, changing hands as low as $22.94 per share. iShares U.S. Treasury Bond shares are currently trading off about 0.3% on the day. The chart belo
While ChatGPT’s entry into the ad market marks a pivotal moment for the company, analysts argue Google and Meta face little immediate threat to their advertising empires.
While ChatGPT’s entry into the ad market marks a pivotal moment for the company, analysts argue Google and Meta face little immediate threat to their advertising empires.
Humans&, a startup that believes AI should empower people, not replace them, has reportedly raised a $480 million seed round at a $4.48 billion valuation.
Humans&, a startup that believes AI should empower people, not replace them, has reportedly raised a $480 million seed round at a $4.48 billion valuation.
Commodities trader Vitol Group loaded its first oil cargo from Venezuela’s shore-based storage tanks, a move set to help clear bottlenecks and pave the way for the South American crude giant to ramp up production. The vessel ICE Energy loaded half a million barrels of Venezuelan crude over the weekend, according to shipping documents and vessel movements compiled by Bloomberg. The oil loaded for V...
Commodities trader Vitol Group loaded its first oil cargo from Venezuela’s shore-based storage tanks, a move set to help clear bottlenecks and pave the way for the South American crude giant to ramp up production. The vessel ICE Energy loaded half a million barrels of Venezuelan crude over the weekend, according to shipping documents and vessel movements compiled by Bloomberg. The oil loaded for Vitol is expected to be shipped to Bullen Bay, Curacao, for discharge into storage facilities, the documents show. Vitol and Trafigura Group were tasked by the Trump administration with marketing up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil after the US captured leader Nicolás Maduro and asserted control over the country’s crude earlier this month. Crude oil exports, a key source of revenue for the country, have plunged in the weeks since US forces seized Maduro as the shadowy companies that had been moving cargoes to Asian markets vanished, spooked by the heavy American naval presence in the region. Oil exports so far this month have slumped by more than half to 177,000 barrels a day compared with the same period in December. Crude that otherwise would have been shipped abroad is now filling up domestic storage tanks, forcing some the closure of some oil wells. Vitol declined to comment. The trader, along with Trafigura and Chevron Corp. are the only companies with US permission to export Venezuelan oil. Vitol’s cargo is the first to come directly from onshore storage tanks, which receive oil via pipeline. The company and Trafigura previously handled 4.8 million barrels of Venezuelan crude that was already aboard ships. That oil is currently being discharged at storage facilities in the Caribbean. Read More: Venezuelan Oil Moves Into the Caribbean as US Trade Links Forged Curacao’s tank farms, relics of the shuttered Isla refinery, can hold millions of barrels. Traders are stashing crude there amid a seasonal demand lull during the northern winter, and may dispatch the cargoe...
Labour must urgently seek new roles and alliances, while also enhancing the UK’s own military capabilities Stella Creasy is chair of the Labour Movement for Europe If the threats of Donald Trump prove anything, it is that the mantra of “shared values” with his administration is as much use as a chocolate teapot. Countries across the world are scrambling to adjust. Canada has announced a trade real...
Labour must urgently seek new roles and alliances, while also enhancing the UK’s own military capabilities Stella Creasy is chair of the Labour Movement for Europe If the threats of Donald Trump prove anything, it is that the mantra of “shared values” with his administration is as much use as a chocolate teapot. Countries across the world are scrambling to adjust. Canada has announced a trade realignment towards China – and talk grows of counter-sanctions in Europe. If the UK wants to avoid being caught in the crossfire, there really is only one alternative: to finally take the brakes off rebuilding our common future in Europe. In the past few weeks, Nato has suffered life-changing injuries. This should not be surprising, given the repeated signals from Washington, from the anti-European screed in Trump’s National Security Strategy to the harassment of President Zelenskyy at the White House. When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time and act accordingly. Stella Creasy is chair of the Labour Movement for Europe and the Labour and Cooperative MP for Walthamstow Continue reading...
Private equity firm Advent is preparing to launch the sale of Italian industrial confectioner Irca SpA , which could fetch around €3 billion ($3.5 billion), while lenders work on debt financings to back a potential buyout. UBS Group AG and Rothschild are advising on the process, which is expected to launch later this quarter, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identif...
Private equity firm Advent is preparing to launch the sale of Italian industrial confectioner Irca SpA , which could fetch around €3 billion ($3.5 billion), while lenders work on debt financings to back a potential buyout. UBS Group AG and Rothschild are advising on the process, which is expected to launch later this quarter, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because the deal is private. The sale of Irca, which was founded over 100 years ago in Lombardy, would add to a growing pipeline of mergers and acquisitions in what’s expected to be a big year for dealmaking and leveraged finance. Some bankers have predicted a record year for M&A and private equity firms are seizing on improved market sentiment. In other deals, bankers are jostling for a spot on a debt package of up to €4.5 billion backing a potential takeover of Polish parcel locker operator InPost SA by a consortium that also includes Advent International. Private equity firm Astorg, meanwhile, is getting ready to kick off a sale of its fund services business IQ-EQ, with lenders preparing debt financing of about €2 billion for potential bidders. Funding Battle Similar to the funding battle around IQ-EQ, both bankers and private credit lenders are competing to finance Irca’s sale. Debt packages on Irca range anywhere from €1.2 billion to €1.6 billion, with private credit firms more willing to finance at the upper end of the range, the people said. That equates to around 6 to 8 times Irca’s approximate €200 million earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, they added. Bankers would look to finance the deal via high yield bonds, most likely floating-rate notes, while private credit firms would seek to offer unitranche financing — a blend of senior and junior debt, the people said. Advent, UBS and Rothschild declined to comment. Irca didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Wall Street banks led the way on financing the growing number of ...
Welcome to The Brink . We’re Abhinav Ramnarayan and Giulia Morpurgo , reporters in London, watching how football owner Jim Ratcliffe will address troubles at his chemicals company that’s been relegated to the distressed debt zone. We also have news on steps by banks to distance themselves from losses on commercial property loans. Follow this link to subscribe . Send us feedback and tips at debtnew...
Welcome to The Brink . We’re Abhinav Ramnarayan and Giulia Morpurgo , reporters in London, watching how football owner Jim Ratcliffe will address troubles at his chemicals company that’s been relegated to the distressed debt zone. We also have news on steps by banks to distance themselves from losses on commercial property loans. Follow this link to subscribe . Send us feedback and tips at debtnews@bloomberg.net . Debt Quandary Sir Jim Ratcliffe , flush from a victory last weekend by his football team Manchester United, has a more pressing but less glamorous job ahead: stabilizing his shaky chemicals company. Some Ineos bonds have slid below 80 percent of face value this year and they are signaling distress. The refinancing of the first bond due for repayment — in little more than a year — will be a test for the company and market appetite for the European chemical sector, which is battling against cheap imports from China and the threat of new US tariffs. Typically, bonds are paid off well before they’re due, but refinancing now could be a costly exercise for Ineos, given the indicated yields on its April 2030 notes of 17%. The company is discussing alternative refinancing options with investment bankers, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. One possibility would be to monetize part of its inventory to partly repay the bonds, said the person, who declined to be identified because the talks are private. Ineos bonds rose on Tuesday after news outlet Debtwire reported on the possible plan, with those due in 2027 trading at about 96 cents on the euro. Ratcliffe’s empire, which also includes automaker Ineos Automotive, has been on the sharp end of Donald Trump ’s tariff war. The US president escalated his threats against European nations this week, slapping a 10% levy on goods from countries that have rallied to Denmark’s side in his pursuit of Greenland. Beyond the ever-present tariff threat, chemical makers are caught in their longest downturn in...
Trump Calls UK Chagos Deal "Great Stupidity" - Demonstrates Greenland Must Be Taken Venezuela, Cuba, Greenland, Canada ... and now President Trump sets his sights on 'defending' America's influence over the tiny but strategically important Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia and the Chagos islands. Early Tuesday the US president on social media blasted the UK government led by Prime Minister Keir ...
Trump Calls UK Chagos Deal "Great Stupidity" - Demonstrates Greenland Must Be Taken Venezuela, Cuba, Greenland, Canada ... and now President Trump sets his sights on 'defending' America's influence over the tiny but strategically important Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia and the Chagos islands. Early Tuesday the US president on social media blasted the UK government led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, branding Britain's prior agreement to hand sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius as an act of "great stupidity" and "total weakness." via AP Washington had backed the arrangement last year under the Joe Biden administration, which transfers the Indian Ocean territory to Mauritius while allowing the UK to retain access to the Diego Garcia air base under a 99-year lease . He has claimed the deal means the UK is planning to "give away the island of Diego Garcia". In his Truth Social post, Trump took aim at the deal under which London would surrender sovereignty while leasing back the strategically critical military base on the islands, including Diego Garcia - where US forces also have a base. He took the opportunity to say the move underscored exactly why he wants the United States to take control of Greenland . "The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired. Denmark and its European Allies have to DO THE RIGHT THING," Trump wrote as his concluding sentence in the message. Despite that Diego Garcia lies some 1,000 miles from the nearest continent (that's how far the southern tip of India is), it hosts a highly secretive UK-US military base - and has since the 1970s . At this point its inhabitants are all military personnel and contractors, after over 900 Chagossian inhabitants were forcibly removed to make way for the military base in the 1960s. The remote airbase has at times been used by the United States to attack targets in t...