UK fraud agency to prosecute Olympus
Japanese camera and medical equipment maker Olympus and UK subsidiary Gyrus Group are to be prosecuted by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
ICBC first half profit up 12.4%
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has announced that its net profit rose 12.4 percent year-on-year for the first half of 2013, helped by interest income growth.
AirAsia Q2 profit down
Profits at AirAsia, one of Asia’s largest and most popular low-cost carriers, slumped 62 percent in the second quarter due to higher operating expenses and foreign-exchange losses on borrowings.
China Telecom first-half profit up 15%
Profits at Chinese state-owned telecommunications company China Telecom rose 15.9 percent year-on-year in the first six months of the year, the company has announced.
Kenya and China sign $5bn deals
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has described deals between Kenya and China to build a railway line.
Hyundai union to strike for four hours
Hyundai’s labour union says 46,000 unionised workers will strike for four hours over two days this week as talks between the union and company made little progress.
Rupee hits new low
The Indian rupee has hit a fresh all-time low against the U.S. dollar.
U.S. investigators probe JPMorgan in China
U.S. investigators have launched a probe into investment house JPMorgan over claims it hired children of influential Chinese officials to boost business in the country.
L’Oreal bids for Chinese face mask company Magic Holdings
Cosmetics giant L’Oreal has made a $6.5 billion Hong Kong dollars takeover offer for Chinese skincare company Magic Holdings. In a joint statement, the French company said it saw Magic as the “ideal fit” for its existing business in China’s fast growing beauty industry. Magic Holdings, based in Guangzhou, is famous for its face masks. The company generated $150 million euros in revenues in 2012. “Facial masks are one of China’s beauty market’s fastest growing areas with very promising development prospects. Magic’s MG brand is one of China’s leading brands in this category,” the joint statement said. L’Oreal, which has brands such as Garnier and Lancome under it, has 3,500 employees in China, a Research and Innovation centre in Shanghai and two plants in Suzhou and Yichang. The deal needs approval from China’s Ministry of Commerce before it can go ahead. Image: © L’Oreal Copyright is owned by Asia Outlook and/or Outlook Publishing. All rights reserved.
Lenovo Group quarterly profit up 23%
Chinese multinational technology Lenovo, which is headquartered in Beijing, says its quarterly profit rose 23 percent in the three months ending June.
