SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced on Friday a 12 billion reais ($2.21 billion) debt renegotiation package aimed at supporting up to 100,000 agricultural producers, primarily small and medium-sized farmers affected by recent climate events.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT 

The measure comes as Brazil’s largest state-run bank, Banco do Brasil, faces record default levels in its agribusiness portfolio, threatening the stability of the country’s crucial agricultural sector. 

BY THE NUMBERS

The executive order signed by Lula guarantees 12 billion reais in total relief funding to up to 100,000 producers eligible for support. 

Banco do Brasil currently has 20,000…

The insolvency proceedings against Jaiprakash Associates, a flagship company of the Jaypee Group, began on June 3, 2024, when the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in Allahabad admitted a petition filed by ICICI Bank. The move came after years of the company defaulting on its loan repayments. The company’s financial distress was a reflection of the broader crisis within the Jaypee Group, which had accumulated significant debt from ambitious, capital-intensive projects in sectors like real estate, infrastructure, and cement.

Creditors, including a consortium of banks and financial institutions led by the National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL), had been seeking a resolution to recover their dues. The NARCL had acquired…

Scotland’s SME sector has shown impressive resilience over recent years. However, for lenders, particularly challenger banks, alternative funders and asset-based lenders – 2026 will be critical in balancing opportunity with risk.

The end of government support schemes has exposed the underlying pressures many businesses are facing: ongoing cash flow constraints, elevated input costs, legacy debt burdens and a persistently difficult economic environment. In this climate, the role of responsive, flexible finance providers has never been more important.

The Current Landscape

Official insolvency statistics in Scotland continue to show a gradual rise in corporate failures. Many owner-managed businesses…

The extraordinary general meeting of Hotel Fast SSE AB (publ) was held on Thursday, September 4, 2025. Full information and documents relating to the meeting’s resolutions are available on the company’s website, www.hotelfastab.se/en-us/.

Approval of transfer of business

The general meeting resolved, in accordance with the proposal of the board of directors, to approve the divestment of the business that operates First Hotel Planetstaden in Lund and the business that owns and manages the group’s properties (the “Transfers“).

As the negotiations regarding the Transfers are still ongoing, it is not possible to provide information on the total consideration, although, the board of directors expects that the Transfers can be completed on…

The voluntary liquidation of Kasei Digital Assets PLC, announced in September 2025, has sparked renewed debate about the viability of digital asset funds as public investment vehicles. As a company that held a portfolio of cryptocurrencies and cash, Kasei’s decision to wind up operations reflects a broader recalibration of risk preferences and cost-benefit analyses in the digital treasury space. This move, driven by the high costs of regulatory compliance and public market scrutiny, underscores a critical inflection point for institutional investors and corporate treasurers navigating the evolving landscape of digital assets.

The Cost-Benefit Dilemma of Public Digital Asset Funds

Kasei’s board concluded that the expenses…

Gabrielle Perry borrowed $137,000 to earn her master’s degree in public health and become an epidemiologist. Her career of choice allowed her to secure a high-paying job in New Orleans, and she’s on track to pay off her student loans in less than two years.

That timeline is unusual. But the Trump Administration’s recent changes to student loan debt rules motivated her to speed up her repayment process. Earlier this year, Perry attempted to pay off a $20,000 student loan debt to her servicer, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA).

MOHELA only accepted $11,000. 

What…

Bank OakNorth has provided the steakhouse group with a senior debt facility that will help the 18-strong chain continue to grow.

Last month, McWin Capital Partners and TriSpan partnered to secure a co-control majority investment in FI Holdings Limited, which operates Flat Iron restaurants, for an undisclosed sum.

“Flat Iron is one of the UK’s most impressive growth stories – a brand with a clear identity, disciplined operating model, and an exceptional track record of site-level profitability,” says Stuart Blair, debt finance director at OakNorth.

“The business has proven resilient in a challenging market and continues to win with customers through quality, value, and operational excellence, delivering consistent like-for-like…