By Tom Sims FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Building permits for apartments in Germany fell 27% during the first half of the year, the statistics office disclosed on Friday, underscoring a downturn in demand plaguing the construction and real estate industry. The nosedive in permits comes amid calls from firms and some politicians for stimulus from Berlin to…
By Muyu Xu SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Asian refiners are on the hunt for crude oil to replace Kuwaiti supply as the OPEC producer cuts exports by nearly a fifth to feed its huge new refinery, which is driving up prices for other sour crudes and likely to squeeze profit margins. Lower Kuwaiti exports follow cuts…
By Doyinsola Oladipo, Julia Harte and Rich McKay (Reuters) – The incongruous sight of tourists enjoying Maui’s tropical beaches while search-and-rescue teams trawl building ruins and waters for victims of the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century has outraged some residents. They have vented on social media, posting video of tourists enjoying holiday…
By Mei Mei Chu and A. Ananthalakshmi KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Malaysia’s economic growth hit the lowest in nearly two years in the second quarter due to sliding exports and a global slowdown, prompting the central bank on Friday to warn that full-year growth will come in at the lower end of its previous forecast. The…
By Fabian Hamacher and Yimou Lee TAOYUAN, Taiwan (Reuters) -Taiwan Vice President William Lai returned on Friday from a sensitive visit to the United States, a trip China has condemned and which has brought warnings from Taiwanese officials it could prompt more Chinese military drills near the island. “Because of everyone’s hard work, Taiwan’s power…
By Katherine Masters, Amy Tennery and Helen Reid NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) -When England and Spain face off in Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final, there will be more than sporting pride at stake. A potential multimillion dollar sales boost is also on the table for the winning team’s sponsor – Nike, or Adidas. Sports sponsorship is…
A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Kevin Buckland China continues to set the mood for markets, and the tone is unswervingly sombre. Property boom poster child China Evergrande has filed for Chapter 15 protection in a U.S. bankruptcy court, putting an exclamation point on a torrid week for the…
By Tetsushi Kajimoto TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s core consumer prices slowed in July, supporting expectations the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will be in no rush to phase out monetary easing, even as inflation remains stubbornly above the central bank’s target. The 3.1% rise in the core consumer price index (CPI), which includes oil products but excludes…
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Sam Asghari, the husband of pop superstar Britney Spears, is seeking to divorce the singer he married last year after she was released from a legal conservatorship. The 29-year-old Asghari cited “irreconcilable differences” in a filing in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday. He is seeking spousal support and payment of legal…
By Lewis Jackson and Rishav Chatterjee SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian real estate firm Dexus said on Friday it had sold an office building in downtown Sydney, with the buyer receiving a 16% discount on a 2022 valuation as higher interest rates and home working crunch prices for office space. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the…
