Headlines

The Group of 20 major economies, led this year by South Africa, said on Thursday the risk of a systemic debt crisis appears to be broadly contained, but many vulnerable low- and middle-income countries still faced high financing costs and other challenges limiting their ability to boost growth, Reuters reported. G20 finance officials issued a declaration on debt during the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington, calling for further work to boost debt sustainability, increase transparency and give borrowing countries more of a voice in the process.

An Austrian court convicted former property billionaire Rene Benko of insolvency-related fraud on Wednesday in his first criminal trial linked to the collapse of his real estate group Signa, sentencing him to two years in prison, Reuters reported. The case stems from a sweeping investigation into crimes prosecutors suspect were committed in connection with Signa's collapse starting in 2023, which was the biggest postwar bankruptcy in Austria and burnt investors across Europe, including blue-chip companies in Germany and Switzerland.

The number of companies sliding into insolvency in Germany rose by 10.4 per cent in September compared to the year before, according to preliminary data, the Brussels Signal reported. This was announced by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on October 13. The final tally for July – which was published on the same date – shows that insolvency rose by 13.4 per cent year-on-year in the month. The preliminary data is based on insolvency announcements from German courts that are later complemented by official statistics to arrive at the final number.

Archer Aviation has emerged as the winning bidder for Lilium’s extensive portfolio of advanced air mobility patents, ZagDaily.com reported. The California-based company has secured around 300 intellectual property assets for €18 million following a competitive process that also involved Joby Aviation and the Ambitious Air Mobility Group (AAMG). Announced at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention in Las Vegas, the deal marks the latest chapter in Lilium’s drawn-out insolvency proceedings and underscores the growing consolidation in the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector.

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has dismissed an insolvency appeal against Amrit Polychem filed by Korea Trade Insurance Corporation, TheWeek.in reported. The appellate tribunal has upheld the order passed by the Mumbai Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), observing a preexisting dispute between the parties. The NCLAT said that the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (Ksure) was well aware of the fact that there was a preexisting dispute before stepping into the shoes of the JT Corporation (JTC).

The Competition Commission of India has approved Vedanta Limited's acquisition of Jaiprakash Associates Limited following a corporate insolvency resolution process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, LiveMint.com reported. “The Proposed Combination envisages acquisition of Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) by Vedanta Limited (Acquirer) pursuant to a corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC),” the Commission said in a release on Tuesday, October 14.

Musician Hong Junyang recently became a casualty of Singapore’s struggling food and beverage industry, The Star reported. The 44-year-old singer-songwriter’s name was included in the Sept 26 publication of the Government Gazette list of bankrupt individuals. Hong told local news portal AsiaOne on Oct 13 that his financial situation arose from debts from his Thai street food restaurant chain The Original Boat Noodle, which had faced difficulties since the pandemic. “Ever since Covid-19 started, it has been very, very tough for us, up till our closure...

Supertanker freight rates surged this week and are set to stay elevated on U.S.-China tit-for-tat hikes in port fees and concerns about the fallout from U.S. sanctions on a major Chinese crude oil terminal, Reuters reported. Chinese retaliatory port fees announced on Friday would add more than $7 a barrel in shipping costs for a Very Large Crude Carrier linked to the U.S., traders estimated. That would be equivalent to a charge of around $15 million - a sum that would put anybody off chartering ships related to the United States.

Global public debt is projected to rise above 100% of gross domestic product by 2029, reaching its highest level since 1948 and continuing to climb, the IMF said on Wednesday, urging countries to build up buffers to guard against economic risks, Reuters reported. Vitor Gaspar, head of the International Monetary Fund's fiscal affairs department, said global public debt levels could soar as high as 123% of GDP by the end of the decade under an "adverse, but plausible scenario," just under the all-time high of 132% reached just after World War II.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday that Brazil and the U.S. will hold negotiation talks on tariffs on Thursday, Reuters reported. Lula's remarks at an event in Rio de Janeiro followed a call between him and U.S. President Donald Trump last week in which Trump designated Secretary of State Marco Rubio to continue tariff negotiations with Brazilian officials. Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Rubio agreed on a meeting last week.