VENTURE CAPITAL POST

The DealBook said in its report that banks in China are steadily making strategic acquisitions offshore and opening its businesses outside of the mainland, thanks to recent economic reforms.

Lanco Infratech on Friday reportedly met with a consortium of over 25 lenders to discuss details on its proposed INR7,500 crore corporate debt restructuring deal. The said deal will also give the cash-strapped company access to a new credit of INR3,500 crore.

US bank regulators said they would consider allowing banks to hold on to complex securities despite the Volcker rule prohibiting them from owning such and would arrive at a decision in the middle of January.

The Development Bank of Japan will acquire a 24.95% stake in the Gunfleet Sands Facility, a 172-megawatt offshore wind project located in England. DBJ will buy the stake from Marubeni Corp., which bought its holding originally for $329 million.

The UK government is mulling on rule changes that would make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to obtain funding from alternative financiers and new banks.

Property lender Aareal Bank this weekend announced that it would takeover German rival Corealcredit Bank for €342 million. Corealcredit will be bought from American private equity firm Lone Star Funds.

Australia's systemically important "Big Four" banks will be required to set aside an extra 1 percent of equity capital to protect against the kind of turmoil seen during the global financial crisis under new regulations announced on Monday.

Sprint chairman and SoftBank chief executive Masayoshi Son was reportedly meeting senior bank executives in New York. Sources said that banks are readying proposals for financing a bid by Sprint Corp. for T-Mobile US.

KBC Bank, which received a €7 billion government bailout in 2008, will be selling the Antwerp Diamond Bank to Chinese investor Yiren Group. KBC has disposed a string of units since the Belgian government rescued it during the financial crisis.

Citigroup Inc chose to work with AIA Group in a 15-year agreement allowing the latter to sell life insurance through its branch network in 11 countries, Bloomberg reported.

Banco Sabadell, a Spain-based bank, plans to add 25 more branches to its existing 42 branches in Angola to target the growing millionaires in the country.

Bondholders and large depositors in a failing bank face taking losses from the start of 2016, European Union negotiators have agreed, a European Parliament lawmaker said on Wednesday.

The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported on Wednesday, including Fortum, National Vision, Saipem, CTT, MTS, Southern Pacific, Warrnambool, Verbund, Bakkafrost, Popular and Marathon Oil.

Bob Diamond, the former boss of Barclays, is set to return to banking by listing a shell company in London in the next few weeks to invest in the African financial sector, a source familiar with the matter said.

The respect for the late politician and ex-president of South Africa Nelson Mandela was evident in the business sector, as trading and banks postponed their businesses to acknowledge Mandela's passing.