BRIEFS

Thor Equities has raised its offer to buy Empire State Building Associates — the owner of the land, the 102‑storey tower and the master lease on the landmark — with a cash bid of US$1.4 billion.

According to the report, Empire State Building Associates owns the land under the building, the 102‑storey Empire State Building itself, and the master lease on the skyscraper.

Koch Industries announced it is buying Molex for US$7.2 billion (reported as US$7.8 billion). The deal is an acquisition of the electrical‑components manufacturer by the US industrial conglomerate.

Molex manufactures electrical components and makes electronic and fibre‑optic interconnection systems. The company operates in 15 countries and employs more than 35,000 people worldwide.

The article reports Shell officials have begun talks in Port Harcourt with representatives of the Bodo community about compensation and clean‑up, five years after one of the worst oil spills in Nigeria’s history.

The talks are taking place in Port Harcourt, in southern Nigeria, and are focused on compensation and clean‑up related to the large oil spill that affected the Bodo community five years earlier.

The brief mentions Thor Equities and its bid for the Empire State Building (through Empire State Building Associates), Koch Industries’ purchase of Molex, details about Molex’s operations, and Shell’s talks with the Bodo community in Nigeria over a major oil spill.

Key facts: Thor Equities has offered US$1.4 billion in cash for the Empire State Building assets; Koch Industries is buying Molex for about US$7.2–7.8 billion; Molex operates in 15 countries with over 35,000 employees; and Shell has started compensation and clean‑up talks with the Bodo community in Port Harcourt following a major oil spill five years ago.