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German airline Lufthansa took a daring step in mid-March and decided to launch a Schuldschein transaction exclusively via the digital platform VC Trade. It has proved a shrewd move and will likely be game-changing for VC Trade in the battle for digital dominance.

A bid by VC Trade, an emerging technology platform for the Schuldschein market, to overcome resistance and cement its position in the market appears to have paid off this week, as a deal for Lufthansa executed solely via the platform succeeded handsomely. This could prove a turning point for the use of tech in the Schuldschein sector and perhaps other corporate debt markets. Silas Brown reports.

The calls have started to emerge for Turkey to turn to the IMF. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has always been dead set against the idea — and perhaps that’s for the best.

I was young and handsome when I married Tai Tai. I’m still handsome, she says, but time has curdled my youth to wisdom (and wealth).

Equity markets have recovered much of their swagger in 2019, with the S&P 500 almost completely clawing back losses from the worst sell-off since the financial crisis.

Sustainable finance is bubbling with exciting new initiatives. But making people feel good is not enough. Activity needs to produce results, and so far there is more noise than movement. The tone is far too sedate — it needs some hard core activism to break the torpor.

In this round up, Chinese credit growth beat expectations in March, a deputy governor at the People’s Bank of China promised prudent monetary policy and the finance ministry announced a tax exemption for China Depositary Receipts (CDRs).

The Scottish American Investment Co (SAINTS), an investment trust managed by Baillie Gifford, has raised £80m of debt in private placements.

In this round-up, consumer and producer prices rise, sovereigns line up for Pandas and MUFG gets primary dealer role.

In this round-up, China and the US agree to set up enforcement offices, the People's Bank of China reshuffles its monetary policy board and the finance ministry tightens rules on Panda accounts.

Activist investor Edward Bramson will be hard-pressed to succeed in his bid to get a seat on the board of Barclays. But his push to get the firm to retreat from investment banking could well find a better reception among weary investors.

The debauchery of the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament is legendary. Every year friends visit for a long weekend of carousing and occasionally someone watches some rugby.