BNP Paribas

Iga Swiatek beat Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-0 in just over an hour to win the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California, on Sunday, with the world's top-ranked woman losing just 21 games in six matches during the 12-day tournament.

Swiatek earned her 20th match win of the year, which leads the WTA Tour.

Maria Sakkari outlasted Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2 after blowing three match points in the second set of their rain-delayed semifinal Friday night to reach the BNP Paribas Open final.

Sakkari will play top-ranked Iga Swiatek in Sunday's final. Swiatek routed Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-1 to improve to 19-2 this year, with her match wins leading the WTA Tour.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, of Greece, reacts after losing a point against Jiri Lehecka, of Czech Republic, during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Tuesday, in Indian Wells, California. Lehecka won 6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals. [AP]

Mytilineos Energy & Metals on Wednesday announced it has reached financial close with lenders BNP Paribas, Intesa San Paolo, Sumitomo Mitsubishi Banking Corporation, Rabobank and Santander Chile, on a 588 MWp non-recourse solar portfolio.

French and US authorities have launched an investigation into Cypriot brokerage TCR International Ltd in conjunction with a branch of BNP Paribas, following suspicions of "aggravated money laundering." The transactions in question, exceeding €220 million, occurred between 2019 and 2021, as reported by French daily Le Monde.

A Cypriot brokerage firm caught up in an investigation by French prosecutors probing financial transfers possibly tied to Yevgeny Prigozhin on Wednesday denied it had ever had direct relations with the late Wagner mercenary chief.

The real estate sector's prospects appear to be bright, at least for the near future, with prices rising and several important projects taking shape.

The growth of tourism positively impacts hotels. According to consultancy Danos/BNP Paribas, 1,400 new hotel rooms are being built in the Athens area, with another 1,100 being refurbished. And that excludes the Elliniko mega-project.

Greece on Tuesday raised 3.5 billion euros in cash and bonds from a new 15-year bond issue, its debt agency said, marking the nation's first bond sale since June's national election.

Investor demand topped 13 billion euros and the final pricing was set at mid-swaps plus 125 basis points, a yield of about 4.42%, the Public Debt Management Agency said in a filing.

The book-building process on a 15-year syndicated bond issue has attracted very strong investment demand, with bids exceeding 11 billion euros pushing the interest rate of the issue from 4.5% initially to 4.45%. 

Climate activists are using shareholder meetings to turn up the heat on corporations about their carbon footprints, from flooding them with questions to more colorful tactics like singing or throwing cake at executives.