Japan’s Naoto Kan intervenes to weaken yen
Japan has sold the yen in the market for the first time in six years, trying to stop the currency’s relentless climb from hurting exporters and threatening a fragile economic recovery. Fresh after a victory in party leadership contest, Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan appeared to be stepping up efforts to wrench the country out […]
Moody’s: Eurozone a danger to UK’s AAA rating
Britain’s AAA credit rating could be at risk due to the crisis in the eurozone, Moody’s said in its UK end of year assessment late on Tuesday. In spite of a “stable” rating, Moody’s warned that Britain may face a downgrade if no policies are implemented to help stabilise markets. According to the agency, the […]
Indonesia, Australia launch UN-backed $30m forest CO2 project REDD
Indonesia and Australia have launched a A$30m project to fight deforestation in Sumatra as part of efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and boost a planned forest-carbon trading scheme. The project, to target Sumatra’s Jambi province that has suffered rapid deforestation, is the second joint venture between the neighbouring countries keen to learn how to […]
AT&T kills $39bn takeover bid for T-Mobile
After months of opposition from regulators and rivals, AT&T late on Monday dropped its controversial $39bn takeover bid for T-Mobile USA, the company said. The FCC, which was against the takeover since it was announced in March, said that the bid would reduce competition and choice, and increase prices for consumers. AT&T announced it will […]
SEC sues ex-Freddie Mac and ex-Fannie Mae executives
The Securities and Exchange Commission late on Sunday filed securities fraud charges against six former Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) executives. The SEC court filing showed that executives had claimed that their company’s exposure from 2007 to 2008 was between $2bn and $6bn, when it was […]
Zynga IPO prices hit top of the range
Online games producer Zynga late on Thursday managed to raise $1bn in its initial public offering after it priced shares at the top end of a preliminary $8.50 to $10 market range. The creator of games including “FarmVille” and “CityVille” sold 100 million shares of Class A common stock at $10 a share in the […]
Brazil sues Chevron for $10.6bn oil spill damage
Brazilian federal prosecutors late on Wednesday sued US-based Chevron and rig operator Transocean for $10.6bn in damages following environmental harm alleged to have been caused by an oil leakage in early November. Prosecutors also asked the court to force the companies to shut down operations at the Frade field in Brazil until the case is […]
Olympus meets earnings deadline to stay in TSE
Japanese optical equipment manufacturer Olympus has submitted long delayed earnings reports on Wednesday, only hours before a crucial deadline to avoid being removed from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The TSE, the world’s second largest bourse, has now removed the company from its watch list for automatic ejection. However, Olympus continues to be at risk of […]
Areva shelves projects and plans 1,500 job cuts amid $1.6bn loss
Areva, the globe’s largest supplier of nuclear fuel and services, on Tuesday said it is to suspend building work at sites including Africa, the US and France. The news comes a day after it announced it is expecting to post an operating loss of between $1.4 and $1.6bn this year. The French company also unveiled […]
German president criticises G20’s crisis approach
German President Christian Wulff criticised efforts by the Group of 20 nations to contain the global financial crisis, saying they were too small in scale and had achieved little. Last month’s summit of G20 leaders in France failed to bring progress which the world urgently needed, Wulff said, citing regulation of the financial sector and […]
