‘We can’t afford anything’: Turkey’s cost-of-living crisis threatens Erdogan’s re-election

By Ali Kucukgocmen ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Istanbul barber Hakim Ekinci, a long-time supporter of Tayyip Erdogan, won’t be voting for the president next Sunday, blaming his economic policies for eroding Turks’ purchasing power and leaving many unable to afford even basic foodstuff. Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party were able to maintain their voter base,…

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Chinese property brokers need to reduce fees, regulator says

BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese real estate brokerage agencies need to implement reasonable reductions to fees for housing transactions and leasing services to promote healthy development of the sector, the housing regulator said on Monday. Some real estate brokers in recent years “have charged excessive, unclear and bound fees, and misused clients’ personal information, which has…

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Joint Philippines-U.S. patrols in South China Sea may begin by third quarter – envoy

MANILA (Reuters) – Joint patrols between the Philippines and the United States in the South China Sea may begin later this year, a top diplomat said on Monday, just days after Washington clarified its commitment to defend Manila from an attack at sea. Discussions were continuing on the joint maritime patrols, which were announced in…

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Berkshire Hathaway sells $58.9 million worth of shares in China’s BYD

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Berkshire Hathaway, the investment company owned by Warren Buffett, has sold 1.96 million Hong Kong-listed shares of electric vehicle maker BYD for HK$462.09 million ($58.9 million), a stock exchange filing showed. The sale on May 2 lowered Berkshire’s holdings in BYD’s issued H-shares to 9.87% from 10.05%, the filing to the…

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