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I’ve always decried Hong Kong’s cultural scene. If there’s one thing I miss about London, it’s a pre-theatre dinner at Brooks and a Chekhov in the West End.

The decision by a joint venture between Russia and China to invest up to $2bn in key infrastructure projects will relieve the pressure on the Russian government to attract funds to offset the massive flight of capital

The EBRD will take on Libya as a member this week but analysts are warning that the multilateral may be biting off more than it can chew

The splintering of Ukraine could have a big impact on the country’s bonds, according to an analyst who warns that debt might have to be reissued or even defaulted on if the country continues to lose regions to independence — or Russia.

Signs that Moody’s, S&P and Fitch (mostly in that order) are about to lose their exalted position in the hierarchy of international credit ratings are limited so far. But European legislation requires more competition in the sector, and DBRS will not let clients forget it.

High yield bond investors are buying Greek bonds with enthusiasm, but this is no frothy after-effect of the sovereign’s bond return. High yield funds returned to Greece 18 months ago, and have helped it recover. Yet don’t write off the banks. They never went away completely, and are set to return.

Some banks big in the emerging markets this week laughed at GlobalCapital when we asked the question of whether any cuts had yet been made to their Russian bond teams. "It has only been two months since the start of the Crimea crisis!" they said, and this is, after all, the emerging markets, where volatility is par for the course. Many are cheerily optimistic that Russian bond business could return in the second half of this year. We disagree.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is cracking down on the rapid growth of loan books caused by the rise in lending to Chinese names. While trying to insulate its banking system from too much exposure to the increasingly troubled mainland economy is understandable, it is fighting a losing battle.

GlobalCapital is proud to present the list of nominees for the issuer section of our Bond Awards 2014.

GlobalCapital is proud to present the list of nominees for the issuer section of our Bond Awards 2014.

GlobalCapital is proud to present the list of Nominees for the High Yield Issuer section of our Bond Awards 2014.

GlobalCapital is proud to present the list of Nominees for the Investment Grade Corporate Issuer section of our Bond Awards 2014.