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About 13 percent of corporate insolvency resolution processes (CIRPs) until the end of March 2019 were resolved, while 53 percent cases ended in liquidation, according to data from the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), moneycontrol.com reported. Average realisation by financial creditors as a share of claims was only 43 percent. In its report, the IBBI said 359 cases had been admitted for corporate insolvency. Of this, the resolution plan for 14 was approved while 73 went into liquidation in the January-March quarter.

Lebanon's president called on Tuesday for approval of the 2019 draft budget by the end of May in order to launch long-stalled economic reforms, though military veterans fearing pension cuts took to the streets, the International New York Times reported on a Reuters story. Wrestling with one of the world's heaviest public debt burdens and years of low growth, the Lebanese government has promised reforms which economists deem more pressing than ever. But it risks public anger if it trims wages, pensions or benefits in its massive public sector bill.

In its first major acquisition, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev-led Patanjali Ayurved walked away with debt-ridden edible oil firm Ruchi Soya with a bid of Rs 4,325 crore, sources said. Ruchi Soya has a total debt of about Rs 12,000 crore, Firstpost reported. When contacted, Patanjali confirmed the development, a PTI report said. "We are informed about the development. Voting has gone in our favour," Patanjali Ayurved spokesperson S K Tijarawala said. "Tomorrow they would hand over the result to us and then we would proceed further," he added.

Debenhams is demanding reductions in business rates alongside cuts to rents as part of its attempt to reduce its store occupancy costs, according to documents seen by the Financial Times. Last week, the struggling department store group confirmed it would launch a company voluntary arrangement — a type of insolvency proceeding — to restructure its expensive and inflexible leases, the Financial Times reported. That followed a financial restructuring through which the group’s creditors took control of its business and assets.

Britain’s second biggest care home operator Four Seasons has appointed administrators to push through a sale in a last-ditch attempt to save the business that houses 17,000 residents, the Financial Times reported. The administration of two holding companies — which were set up by the care home chain’s former private equity owner, Terra Firma — will enable the US hedge fund that seized control to sell the business without any ongoing obligations.

SoftBank Group Corp. is in talks to invest about $230 million in Brazilian online lender Creditas as the firm expands investments in Latin America, according to people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg News reported. SoftBank is planning to do the deal via a joint investment from its Vision Fund and newly created Innovation Fund, according to the people, who asked not to be identified as the details aren’t public. No final decisions have been made, and SoftBank may still decide against the transaction, they said. SoftBank and Creditas declined to comment.

The two biggest banks in the Nordic region saw their market values shrink on Tuesday after publishing first-quarter results that disappointed investors, Bloomberg News reported. Danske Bank A/S said it now expects net interest income to be lower this year than in 2018 as the higher cost of funding brought on by its money-laundering scandal erodes its top line. Its shares plunged more than 7 percent after the market opened in Copenhagen. At Nordea Bank Abp, net interest income missed market expectations amid growing pressure from its biggest investors to boost revenue.

An Indian appellate tribunal has lifted a stay on insolvency proceedings against business tycoon Anil Ambani’s debt-laden Reliance Communications, the Economic Times reported on Tuesday. The decision by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) could potentially force Sweden’s Ericsson to return 5.5 billion Indian rupees ($79.06 million) in dues and interest that RCom paid the telecoms equipment maker last month, Reuters reported.

The number of companies falling into financial distress in England and Wales rose in early 2019, adding to signs that businesses struggled in the run-up to the original March Brexit deadline, official data showed on Tuesday, Reuters reported. There were 4,187 company insolvencies in the first quarter, up from 3,938 in the fourth quarter, the Insolvency Service said, citing seasonally adjusted data excluding “bulk” closures of companies set up by individuals for their personal affairs.

In a bid to step up its efforts to control non-performing assets (NPAs), the State Bank of India (SBI) is hiring more bankruptcy and legal firms to strengthen its stressed assets team to handle cases of above Rs 100 crore under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), Kerala News reported. "The bank seeks to empanel advocates/law firms for handling cases of above Rs 100 crore," the SBI said. The SBI is currently in the process of examining the applications. The bank has 20 stressed asset management branches across the country which report to its central stressed asset resolution vertical.