David Barret

October 7, 2021 LONDON (Reuters) -Britain’s competition regulator has scrapped its action against Ryanair and British Airways over their failure to offer refunds to passengers prevented from flying by COVID-19 restrictions, saying the legal position was unclear. During pandemic lockdowns, instead of offering refunds to those legally unable to fly, IAG-owned British Airways offered vouchers […]

October 7, 2021 SEOUL (Reuters) – The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is sending COVID-19 aid for North Korea through China’s border port of Dalian, despite few signs North Korea has eased strict border lockdowns to keep the virus out. In its latest weekly report for South and East Asia, which covers the period […]

October 7, 2021 By Ryan Woo and Liangping Gao BEIJING (Reuters) – Sagging demand at China’s urban land auctions amid a crackdown on borrowing by private developers risks squeezing regional finances, pressuring local governments to scramble for other income sources to fund investments and support the economy. Land sales soared to a record 8.4 trillion […]

October 7, 2021 By John Revill and Steve Holland ZURICH/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States and China have agreed in principle for their presidents to hold a virtual meeting before the end of the year, a senior U.S. administration official said on Wednesday, after high-level talks aimed at improving communication between the two countries. The closed-door […]

October 7, 2021 By John Revill and Steve Holland ZURICH/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States and China have agreed in principle for their presidents to hold a virtual meeting before the end of the year, a senior U.S. administration official said on Wednesday, after high-level talks aimed at improving communication between the two countries. The closed-door […]

October 7, 2021 MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s largest lender Sberbank and internet firm Mail.Ru have invested an additional 12.2 billion roubles ($168.39 million) in their ride-hailing and food delivery joint venture, the companies said on Thursday. The funding is being provided in the form of equity. Total funding for the JV since its inception in […]

October 7, 2021 ZURICH (Reuters) – Sika can overcome rising raw material costs and supply chain restrictions to increase its sales and profit margins this year, the Swiss construction chemicals maker said on Thursday. The company, whose products are used to seal, reinforce and protect building materials, said it expects sales growth in local currencies […]

October 7, 2021 By Naveen Thukral SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Oil prices dropped for a second session on Thursday, under pressure from an unexpected rise in U.S. crude stocks that raised concerns over demand after prices rallied to multi-year highs. U.S. crude slid 0.67%, or 52 cents, to $76.91 a barrel by 0649 GMT, after the market […]

October 7, 2021 (Reuters) – Online trading platform CMC Markets Plc pointed to a pick-up in client activity in September on Thursday, as the China Evergrande debt crisis and inflation concerns spurred market volatility and boosted trading volumes. Stocks globally have retreated in recent weeks after months of recovery, due to concerns about property developer […]

October 7, 2021 By Natalia Zinets KYIV (Reuters) – Ukrainian inflation probably accelerated further in September, fuelled by rocketing gas prices on external markets, but it may slow down by the end of 2021 thanks to government and central bank measures, a Reuters monthly poll showed on Thursday. According to the median forecast of Ukrainian […]

October 7, 2021 TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki on Thursday warned against rapid currency moves, saying he was closely watching the foreign exchange market as the yen hovered near 18-month lows against the dollar. The new finance minister made the comment when asked about the yen’s weakening and its impact on the […]

October 7, 2021 A look at the day ahead from Danilo Masoni. For once, it wasn’t central bankers who moved markets but politicians. First, a hint by Vladimir Putin that Russia is ready to stabilise energy markets turned Wednesday’s 31% gas price surge into a 35% reversal from the day’s peaks – within two hours […]

October 7, 2021 MELBOURNE (Reuters) – BHP Group, the world’s largest listed mining company, announced on Thursday that from the end of January all workers and visitors entering its workplaces in Australia will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Those requirements will be introduced earlier for some sites in high risk areas, such as […]

October 7, 2021 FRANKFURT (Reuters) – RWE, Germany’s biggest power producer, on Thursday said it has formed a joint venture with Public Power Corporation (PPC) <DEHr.AT>, which will initially focus on realising solar projects worth up to 2 gigawatts in Greece. The 51-49 joint venture is RWE’s first move into the Greek market, the company […]

October 7, 2021 (Reuters) – Office space provider Workspace said on Thursday utilisation of its centres in London peaked at more than half of pre-pandemic levels by the end of September, as workers returned to the city following the lifting of lockdowns. The company, whose utilisation rate last month reached 56% of 2019 levels mid-week, […]

October 7, 2021 JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa must manage its transition away from coal-fired power generation systematically and not rush a switch to renewable energy sources, Mining and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said on Thursday. “I am not saying coal for ever, … I am saying let’s manage our transition step by step rather […]

October 7, 2021 TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese oil company Eneos Holdings Inc plans to buy Japan Renewable Energy for about 200 billion yen ($1.8 billion) from Goldman Sachs and Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC, the Nikkei business daily reported on Thursday. The deal would mark the first major purchase of a renewables firm by a […]

Analysts say the value of e-commerce in Africa is expected to reach $29 billion next year, yet Africans still find it difficult to make international payments for products online. Cards, M-Pesa, bank transfer and mobile money, are the most common methods Africans use to make payments. But while various payment gateways have provided better experiences […]

Webrazzi, the main tech startup media title in Turkey, has acquired Tech.eu, the long-time tech startup site in Europe. The pooled entity of Webrazzi and Tech.eu will now offer combined editorial, data, and research platforms offering news and market intelligence. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Launched in 2006 by Arda Kutsal, Webrazzi […]

October 7, 2021 (Reuters) -American teenager Coco Gauff has urged U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu to be wary of social media following the Briton’s maiden Grand Slam triumph at Flushing Meadows last month. Raducanu, who became the first qualifier to win a major, has since gained thousands of new followers on social media, setting up […]