KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Kremlin-orchestrated referendum got underway Friday in occupied regions of Ukraine that sought to make them part of Russia, with some officials carrying ballots to apartment blocks accompanied by gun-toting police. Kyiv and the West condemned it as a rigged election whose result was preordained by Moscow. Meanwhile, in a grim…
(Reuters) – Apollo Global Management Inc co-founder Leon Black paid $62.5 million to the U.S. Virgin Islands to avoid any legal claims tied to a Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation, the New York Times reported on Friday. The Times obtained a copy of the settlement agreement from the Virgin Islands government through a public records request….
By Amruta Khandekar and Devik Jain (Reuters) – The benchmark S&P 500 index is trading down 20% from its Jan. 3 record close in volatile trading on Friday, as investors fretted over the impact of rising inflation on earnings and the fallout of interest rate hikes on economic growth. A close of 20% or more…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate dipped back under 7% this week, one day after the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark borrowing rate to its highest level in 15 years as it tries to squelch four-decade high inflation. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average on the key 30-year rate…
(Reuters) – China Evergrande Group said on Sunday its interests in a plot of undeveloped land for residential development in Hong Kong’s Yuen Long district have been sold by its receivers for $636.94 million. The proceeds will be used to repay some of the company’s financial obligations in relation to the project and a loss…
(Reuters) – Singer-songwriter Neil Young has asked employees of Spotify Technology SA to quit their jobs while urging people to withdraw their money from big American banks, in protests over coronavirus misinformation and climate change. Young, in a statement on his website, criticized the music streaming platform’s chief executive officer, Daniel Ek, saying he was…
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday there was no basis to speculation that Beijing could try to use leverage over electric car maker Tesla Inc in order to influence content on U.S. social media site Twitter Inc. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin was responding to a question during a regular daily…
By Chen Lin SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Singapore raised taxes on private property purchases in a surprise move late on Wednesday night that includes a doubling of stamp duties for foreigners to an eye-watering 60%. Authorities in Singapore, where real estate is a safe haven investment for wealthy foreigners, keep close tabs on property prices to ensure…
WASHINGTON (AP) — For nearly nine months, the Federal Reserve has relentlessly raised interest rates to try to slow the U.S. job market and bring inflation under control. And for just as long, the job market hasn’t seemed to get the message. The November employment report the government issued Friday was no exception. Employers added…
By Eric Onstad, Pratima Desai and Peter Hobson LONDON (Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase & Co has reduced lending to China’s Tsingshan, one of the world’s top nickel producers, while also paring back credit to other customers in Europe and Asia after a review of risk, sources close to the situation said. Tsingshan Holding Group was…
