Landa Digital Printing, the Israel-based developer of Nanographic digital printing technology, has filed for court protection as it grapples with significant financial challenges, Label & Narrow Web reported. According to reports in Israeli media, including tech news outlet Ctech, the company is burdened with approximately $516 million in debt and has encountered a critical cash flow shortfall following the abrupt withdrawal of shareholder funding. The move comes after years of heavy investment and limited commercial return.
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In their fourth day of fighting, with no end in sight, ripples from the Israeli-Iranian conflict are beginning to rock global supply chains, Bloomberg News reported. Some oil tanker owners and managers have paused offering their vessels for Middle Eastern routes as they assess the risks, fueling concerns over export flows from the region. The stability of shipping in and around the Middle East will be closely watched by markets in coming weeks.
Israel's attack on Iran Friday has catapulted their long-running conflict into what could become a wider, more dangerous regional war and potentially drive prices higher for both businesses and households, the Associated Press reported. Oil and gold surged and the dollar rose as markets retreated, signaling a flight to investments perceived as more safe. After years of sky-high inflation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have become increasingly leery about the economy this year due to President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, though the impact so far has been muted.
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When Builder.ai was seeking an emergency loan in 2024, the start-up gave lenders a revenue forecast that proved to be four times its actual sales, Bloomberg News reported. A group of creditors, led by Israeli firm Viola Credit, were originally told that Builder.ai projected sales of US$220 million (S$284 million) for 2024, the people said. The company later disclosed that the actual revenue amount for the year turned out to be about US$50 million. That revelation was one of the factors that ultimately led the lenders to seize most of the UK-based artificial intelligence (AI) start-up’s cash.
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The World Bank said Friday that the $15.5 million Syria owed it has been paid off by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, clearing Damascus to take out new loans, the Associated Press reported. Saudi Arabia and Qatar had announced plans last month to clear Syria’s outstanding debts, a move that Syria hailed as paving the way for recovery and reconstruction after a 14-year conflict that killed half a million people and caused wide destruction in the country.
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Abu Dhabi and the UAE federal government will issue more than $8 billion of local currency debt this year to support the establishment of a domestic yield curve, a new report suggests, EconomyMiddleEast.com reported. S&P Global Ratings anticipated anticipated that Abu Dhabi is preparing to issue local currency debt as part of an ongoing initiative to develop the UAE domestic debt capital markets.
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The World Bank will grant Lebanon a $250 million loan that will be used to help ease electricity cuts in the crisis-hit country, the country's finance ministry said Thursday, the Associated Press reported. Lebanon has faced major electricity problems for decades, but the situation became worse following an economic meltdown that began in late 2019. The 14-month Israel-Hebzollah war that ended in late November also badly damaged electricity and other infrastructure in parts of Lebanon.
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Hamas is facing a new problem in Gaza: coming up with the cash it needs to pay its rank and file, the Wall Street Journal reported. Israel last month cut off supplies of humanitarian goods to the enclave, some of which Hamas had been seizing and selling to raise funds, according to Arab, Israeli and Western officials. Its renewed offensive has targeted and killed Hamas officials who played important roles in distributing cash to cadres and sent others into hiding, Arab intelligence officials said.
Lebanon’s new central bank governor vowed Friday that the institution will fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism and will work independently away from political intervention, the Associated Press reported. Karim Souaid, who was speaking after officially taking office in Beirut, added that he will work on restructuring the banking sector, public debt and returning money to depositors. Lebanon’s economy has been witnessing its worst crisis in its modern history since 2019 and the state must implement reforms demanded by the international community.
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Israeli tech entrepreneur Moshe Yanai denied insolvency claims on Sunday, asserting that he holds significant assets through his investment firm, MII, YNetNews.com reported. According to a U.S. court ruling, MII’s portfolio is valued at approximately $1.1 billion — or several hundred million dollars at a minimum. Tech mogul Moshe Yanai denies insolvency, cites $1.1B MII portfolio in Tel Aviv court battle. Yanai made the argument in a request to halt legal proceedings, filed Sunday with the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court, in response to a bankruptcy petition by the investment fund Scintilla.
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