Blackstone to invest $150 million in London-based hedge fund Astaris

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss NEW YORK (Reuters) – Blackstone Group LP is to invest $150 million in London-based Astaris Capital Management which will be split between the firm’s existing hedge fund and a new pool of capital with a drawdown structure, two sources said. Astaris specializes in event-driven credit and equity investments in Europe and was…

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Chipotle to open restaurants in Middle East through first franchise deal

(Reuters) – Chipotle Mexican Grill will enter the Middle East next year through its first franchise deal that will see the American chain open restaurants that sell burritos and tacos in Dubai and Kuwait. The company on Tuesday signed a partnership agreement with Kuwait-based firm Alshaya Group and said it would expand operations across the…

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IMF chief: Prospects for medium-term global growth weak

GANDHINAGAR, India (Reuters) – Global economic activity is slowing, especially in the manufacturing sector, and medium-term growth prospects remain weak, the chief of the International Monetary Fund told financial leaders of the Group of 20 nations on Tuesday. IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, speaking to G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in the western Indian…

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Biden’s age is his ‘superpower’ in 2024, Jeffrey Katzenberg says

By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Movie mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, who is advising Joe Biden on his re-election campaign, says he sees opportunity in what many consider to be the U.S. President’s biggest vulnerability in the 2024 presidential race – his age. Biden, a Democrat who turned 80 in November, is already the oldest Oval…

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Yellen sees disinflation pressures at work as hiring surge fades – Bloomberg News

(Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said a cooling — but not faltering — labor market is playing a leading role in helping slow inflation, among a raft of factors imposing disinflationary pressures, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday. Yellen also told Bloomberg in an interview on Monday that the United States was making good…

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