Asia M&A bonanza fuelled by Southeast Asia, private equity deals

Asian merger and acquisition activity surged to its second-highest level ever for a first half as Southeast Asian and private-equity deals hit records, and bankers expect the strong momentum to be maintained for the rest of the year.
Axiata, Telenor seal $15 bln deal to form Malaysia’s biggest mobile operator

Malaysian telecoms firm Axiata Group Bhd (AXIA.KL) and Norway’s Telenor ASA (TEL.OL) will merge their mobile operations in Malaysia in a $15 billion deal, forming a new market leader in the competitive Southeast Asian nation.