Paris / AFP French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday he was scrapping contested constitutional reforms proposed after the Paris attacks, in an embarrassing U-turn for his already beleaguered government. The reforms included a plan to strip convicted terrorists of their French nationality which led to howls of protests from the left flank of his Socialist party. Hollande also wanted …

Bloomberg Home values in 20 U.S. cities kept climbing in January, a sign the limited supply of available properties may push prices out of reach for some buyers. The S&P/Case-Shiller index of property values increased 5.7 percent from January 2015, following a 5.6 percent gain in the year ended in December, the group said on Tuesday in New York. Nationally, …

Bloomberg Lennar Corp., the second-largest U.S. homebuilder, reported a higher-than-forecast profit for its fiscal first quarter as U.S. job gains bolstered demand for real estate purchases. Net income for the three months through February was $144.1 million, or 63 cents a share, compared with $115 million, or 50 cents, a year earlier, the Miami-based company said in a statement. Lennar …

RIYADH / Reuters Saudi Arabia-based investor Al Murjan Group has bought London’s Kinnaird House office building for 85 million pounds ($121 million) from German fund manager GLL Real Estate, executives involved in the transaction said on Tuesday. Al Murjan plans to refurbish the 71,500 square foot building, located at 1 Pall Mall East near Trafalgar Square, and exit at a …

LONDON / Reuters Fosun International is set to close a deal worth about £300 million ($426.4 million) on Wednesday to buy the Thomas More Square complex in London in its biggest real estate transaction in Europe.The office complex on the edge of the City of London would add another landmark estate to Fosun’s portfolio which already includes London’s Lloyds Chambers …

WASHINGTON / AP U.S. renters saw their monthly leases rise at a significantly slower pace in February, a sign that new construction may be starting to limit housing costs for apartment dwellers. Real estate data firm Zillow said on Wednesday that median rent rose a seasonally adjusted 2.6 percent from a year ago. The median rent nationwide was $1,383 a …

Bloomberg St. Patrick likely wasn’t much of a partier , even as the day we celebrate him is full of indulgences. That said, if traditional Irish-American-style corned beef and cabbage aren’t enough of a fête for you, perhaps you’d like to pick up the ultimate party spot: an Irish castle. Glin Castle, in west County Limerick, sits on 380 acres, …

Emirates Business The International Centre of Islamic Economy headquartered at the Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) officially launched on Wednesdaythe digital portal of the ‘Oasis of Innovation in Islamic Economy’, concurrently with the groundbreaking of the first global oasis dedicated to incubating creative ideas and entrepreneurial projects in support of the international Islamic economy. His EminenceDr. Abdulrahman Bin Saleh Al-Atram, …

RITIKA SHARMA / Emirates Business A huge fire which nearly destroyed buildings in the Ajman One residential cluster on Monday night left residents devastated after losing everything from important documents to a place to stay. Misconceptions and pre-conceived notions, regarding home and content insurance, made things difficult for those who were affected by the fire. In wake of the incident, …

Sunaina Rana / Emirates Business UAE- based retail operator Marka has launched its first ever home-grown e-commerce venture in collaboration with the Souq.com. The new venture would be primarily focusing on the fashion and the sportswear for the Saudi Arabia. Enhancing its appeal to the retailers, Saudi Arabia is the base for the fastest and the youngest growing consumer market …