<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> UKEF has partnered with other export credit agencies and MUFG as sole Mandated Lead Arranger to secure over €1.2 billion in financing for a sustainable railway project. The financing package comprises a €1.027 billion loan guaranteed by ECAs and a separate €220 million commercial loan facility supported […]
Oil prices could double if Red Sea shipping attacks continue warns Goldman Sachs
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> Houthi rebel disruptions reaching the Straits of Hormuz could double oil prices, Goldman Sachs has warned. In an interview the head of the company’s oil research division Daan Struyven said: “the Red Sea is a transit route and a prolonged disruption there, oil can be three or […]
House prices started to rise again in 2023, says Halifax
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> House prices have stopped falling and are rising again, according to a closely watched report from the mortgage lender Halifax. The average property price last month rose by 1.1 per cent in December. It was the third monthly rise in a row and well above economists’ forecasts […]
Electric car sales flatline as manufacturers call for VAT cut
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> The number of new cars registered in the UK has jumped by nearly 18% but electric vehicle demand is flatlining, prompting the industry to call for a VAT cut to stimulate sales. Annual figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) on Friday show […]
New London to Sheffield train service planned for 2025
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> The Yorkshire city of Sheffield is to get a new competitor rail service to London, promising faster travel times than the existing trains. FirstGroup, the listed passenger transport company, has submitted plans to launch a so-called open access service between Sheffield and London King’s Cross from 2025. […]
Philippines remains open to diplomatic discussions with China – national security adviser
PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS MANILA (UPDATE) – The Philippines remains open to diplomatic discussions with China and believes the two nations can achieve a resolution to disputes over the South China Sea through peaceful dialogue, its national security adviser said in a statement on Friday. Eduardo Ano’s remarks came […]
Wholesale goods price growth slows to 4.2% in November
PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS By Abigail Marie P. Yraola, Researcher GROWTH in wholesale prices of general goods eased in November, its weakest pace in five months, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday. Preliminary data from the PSA showed the general wholesale price index (GWPI) slowed by 4.2% year […]
Inflation further eases to 3.9% in December
A vendor arranges fruits at a market in Malate, Dec. 19, 2023. — Edd Gumban/ The Philippine Star By Keisha B. Ta-asan, Reporter Inflation slowed to 3.9% in December, settling within the central bank’s 2-4% target range for the first time in nearly two years, amid easing prices of food […]
ESPN, NCAA agree to new eight-year, $920 million deal for media rights
ESPN and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have agreed to a $920 million, eight-year extension to their media rights deal that covers 40 championships including international rights to the “March Madness” college basketball tournament. The deal has an annual average value of $115 million, which more than triples the amount ESPN […]
German budget savings shrink as farm subsidy cuts delayed
REUTERS BERLIN – Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition, racing to finalize a 2024 budget draft that was delayed by a court ruling, has made unexpected changes, including modifying plans to cut subsidies for agriculture after a backlash from farmers. The changes will result in 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) less in savings than […]