July, 2016

• 24 July

  Brexit blues: London home presales dip by 34 percent

  

    Bloomberg Sales of London homes under construction slumped 34 percent in the second quarter as the prospect of a vote to leave the European Union damped demand already hurt by higher taxes. The number of residences sold before completion fell to about 4,600 from 6,974 a year earlier, according to data compiled by researcher Molior London . A spokesman ...

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• 24 July

  China’s Wanda to sell Madrid project at € 272 million

  

    Shanghai / AFP China’s property giant Wanda, owned by the country’s richest man Wang Jianlin, has signed an MOU to sell a historic Madrid skyscraper to a Spanish developer for €272 million, the company said. Wanda plans to sell all shares of Wanda Madrid Development, which holds the 25-storey Edificio Espana, to Spain’s property developer Baraka Global Investment, its ...

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• 24 July

  Blackstone’s profit rises 2 percent on better sales

    Bloomberg A group led by US real estate investor Blackstone Group LP, the world’s largest manager of alternative assets, said second-quarter profit rose 2 percent as it earned more from real estate sales and its credit portfolio gained. Economic net income, a measure of earnings that reflects both realized and unrealized investment gains, increased to $520 million, or 44 ...

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• 24 July

  US cities razing abandoned properties

  

    DETROIT / AP A two-storey, wood-frame house became the 10,000th vacant building torn down under Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s massive plan to eliminate blight as the city continues dealing with abandoned properties following a population decline. An excavator was used to quickly tear down the house on Marlowe Street on Detroit’s northwest side. The demolition of 10,000 buildings is ...

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• 24 July

  US home prices rose 5.6pc in May from year earlier

    Bloomberg US home prices rose 5.6 percent in May from a year earlier as buyers competed for a scarcity of listings. Prices climbed 0.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from April, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) said in a report from Washington. The average estimate of 18 economists was for a 0.4 percent gain, according to the ...

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• 24 July

  Tengda plans $1.5bn hydrogen fund

    Bloomberg Tengda Construction Group Co., which builds municipal infrastructure projects in China, plans to form a 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) hydrogen industry fund to finance fuel cells and vehicles powered by the gas. The Taizhou, Zhejiang-based company, agreed to partner with Chang’An International Trust Co., Oriental Patron Financial Group and Bestone Asset Management Co. for the fund, it ...

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• 24 July

  Companies lead UAE’s eco-march

  

    RITIKA SHARMA / Emirates Business As the UAE takes strides towards promoting environment initiatives, companies in the country are also leading the eco-march by example. In a recent and much-talked-about event, when UAE-based hotels chain ‘TIME Hotels’ grabbed the prestigious Green Key Award, the message went out loud and clear — that UAE is committed to the best when ...

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• 24 July

  Online wave sweeps banking sector

  

    RITIKA SHARMA / Emirates Business A testimony to the rising popularity and acceptance of digital banking in UAE, a recent report affirms that use of online apps is on a rise in the country. Banking and finance apps usage has more than doubled in recent years, putting a full stop to all speculations about approval of technology in bank ...

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• 24 July

  MBLM launches ‘I Drink Local’ mobile app

  

    Emirates Business MBLM, the Brand Intimacy Agency focused on strategy, design, creative and technology, announced today the launch of its ‘I Drink Local’ mobile app for the iPhone and Android. I Drink Local is an MBLM initiative created to promote the consumption of local water for a more sustainable environment and reduction of our carbon footprint. The new app ...

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• 24 July

  Experts stress on need to secure digital payments from cyber threat

  

    ALKESH SHARMA / Emirates Business As reports predict that whopping revenue of US$2 trillion will be generated through digital payments globally by 2020, experts also press for the need of having secure networks for the companies to ensure there is no cyber money heist. Industry veterans say that with astonishing rise in the users of digital payment platforms, these ...

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