Finance news

Ten years of Brexit: Is the kingdom tipping over?

Six heads of government in ten years, a weak economy, shaky majorities: Great Britain is struggling for predictability - and cannot find it.

Gabriel Felbermayr: “The 0.5 percent economic growth is actually too optimistic”

In their report, the economists show how great the pressure for reform is. Economist Felbermayr explains the ongoing weak growth – and what is good news for him.

BOXABL preferred investors: are people understanding what this SPAC structure actually means?

NOTE: I'm reposting to this community since the Founder of BOXABL removed my post in that sub. I’m a crowdfunding preferred shareholder [of BOXABL, BOXB / FGMC] trying to sanity-check the economics here. Let’s use a simplified example: Assume you own 10,000 BOXABL preferred shares Assume internal economic value = $0.80/share Total economic value = $8,000 Merger reference price = $10/share So your public-equivalent math becomes: 10,000 × $0.80 = $8,000 Then: $8,000 ÷ $10 = 800 BXBL shares Not 10,

Alibaba Group signs 6-year AI deal with Uefa, will bring 360 replay tech to major events

Alibaba Group and Uefa are bringing the Chinese giant’s 360-degree replay technology to football, after signing an exclusive six-year deal covering several major tournaments in Europe. The partnership, which has been widely reported in state media, will see the sport’s regional governing body join the International Olympic Committee and NBA China, among others, in working with Qwen, Alibaba’s artificial intelligence model. With European football accelerating its digital transformation and fan...

Hong Kong property recovery tested as bigger student housing deals gain traction

Hong Kong’s student housing sector is entering a new phase as larger institutional-style deals emerge from the city’s distressed commercial property market, signalling that professional investors are cautiously returning after years of falling asset values. Investors and analysts said the market was moving beyond the smaller hotel conversions that dominated the past two years, with more sizeable transactions expected as financing conditions improve, distressed sales accelerate, and buyers hunt..

Survey: Majority of private landlords shy away from energy-saving renovations

Heating, insulation, windows: modernizing the real estate portfolio in Germany is a key to achieving climate goals. But private landlords shy away from renovations for several reasons.

Firms spent heavily on AI. Now rising costs are outpacing its value

AI is getting expensive – and companies are starting to rethink their embrace of the disruptive technology. Playing by a well-worn Silicon Valley playbook, artificial intelligence companies charged rock-bottom prices to hook customers after ChatGPT burst onto the scene. Kevin Simback of start-up incubator Delphi Labs calls it the era of “subsidised intelligence” – meaning investors were basically footing the bill so companies could offer AI on the cheap. “But the tides are beginning to turn,”...

What happens if growth stops?

When watching personal finance videos I’ve seen commentators claim that if global/US index funds don’t continue growing over the long term then you’ll have a lot more to worry about than investments not growing - aka it would be an event that would cause multiple crises across the world and you’d be worrying about buying fresh water instead of the S&P 500. They use it as a way to reassure long term investors of the security of the market/index funds as a whole. My question is, what would realist

Seoul's National Museum rides the Korean wave

Japan's otaku culture takes off in Manila with CyberAgent festival

How a decade-long bet on photonics handed this Chinese venture capital firm an AI windfall

As artificial intelligence strains the physical limits of existing data centres, scientists and investors are turning to the ultimate speed limit of the universe for the next computing frontier: light. For Mi Lei, founder of CAS Star, a venture capital firm born out of the state-run Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the sudden global fascination with photonics is less a surprise than a delayed validation. It is a thesis he has spent more than a decade trying to support with funding. “New...

Gustavo Petro's successor: Violence and polarization characterize presidential election in Colombia

Several attacks, armed groups and political tensions overshadow the election in Colombia. At the same time, the balance sheet of the country's first left-wing government is controversial.

India seals BrahMos missile deal with Vietnam, eyes Indonesia next

India ⁠has signed ⁠a deal with Vietnam under which it will supply BrahMos missiles which it has jointly ‌developed with Russia and is in “final stages” for a similar deal with Indonesia, India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said on ⁠Saturday. India has a strong commitment ‌to Asean nations, Singh said, without disclosing more details ‌of the deals related to BrahMos. Singh ⁠was ⁠speaking at Asia’s premier defence forum, ‌the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. India, which has been...

Football: Free jerseys for the World Cup – Why it’s worth it for companies

Check24, Edeka, Tedi and others: Companies are once again distributing free jerseys on a massive scale for the World Cup. That costs them millions. An expert explains what you get in return.

How a Hong Kong app is a ‘vital lifeline’ for 76,000 patients navigating cancer care

Hongkonger Susan Tam, 70, used to wake in the middle of the night, desperate for relief from an unbearable, relentless itch caused by her cancer medication. Tam, diagnosed with lung cancer a few months ago, tried applying regular moisturiser to soothe severe skin rashes, but in vain. She also used aqueous cream, a staple from her time working in a care home for the elderly, and even turned to hot water to numb the irritation, only to find it further inflamed her condition. A visit to a family...

Why the US Navy must look to allies if it wants to catch up to China at sea

Washington’s plans to work with allies on warship design and construction face steep opposition at home, but analysts warn that the US must outsource shipbuilding to South Korea and Japan if it wants to close its gap in fleet size with China. The US budget submission for the next financial year includes US$1.85 billion for a study on outsourcing parts of the design and construction of frigates and destroyers, according to media reports last month. USNI News, the news service of the US Naval...

Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel

Mass media commonly portrays Southeast Asia as an exciting, adventure-fuelled and culturally rich region – if often an exoticised one – for inhabitants and visitors alike. The final section of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute’s State of Southeast Asia 2026 Survey, based on respondents’ “relocation preference and travel choices”, adds to the already abundant evidence of the “soft power” of regional countries. Soft power, a term coined by American political scientist Joseph Nye in 1990, is widely

From nuclear submarines to trade, South Korea and US remain deadlocked ahead of talks

South Korea and the United States are heading into talks in Seoul next week with different priorities over the implementation of last year’s summit agreement, with President Lee Jae Myung pushing for the supply of nuclear-powered submarines and Washington seeking progress on a major investment pledge by the Lee administration. US approval on the use of nuclear fuel for South Korea’s submarines is a key goal for Lee, while Washington wants Seoul’s US$350 billion investment promise it previously..

Spain’s property market sees boost as Hongkongers, others, depart the UK and Canada

Hong Kong families in the United Kingdom and Canada are facing deep uncertainty due to shifting immigration policies and the rising cost of living, and some are looking for alternative destinations to settle. Property agents said Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV), designed for retirees and anyone who can support themselves without employment, had become one of their top choices. The NLV provides a pathway for citizens outside the European Union and the European Economic Area who have enough...

East Asia’s population challenge isn’t just about raising birth rates

Across East Asia, societies are becoming richer, healthier and more educated, yet fewer people feel able or willing to have families and raise children. Low fertility plagues high-income societies, particularly in East Asia, where the total fertility rate (TFR) has fallen below one birth per woman, well under the replacement level of 2.1 births. While many countries have dedicated considerable resources and effort to reversing this trend, the results have been somewhat disappointing. The pairing

New Zealand tells US it lacks billions ‘under the couch’ to raise defence spending

New Zealand does not have the fiscal headroom to increase defence spending to the levels the US might expect, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told delegates at an Asia security forum in Singapore on Saturday that New Zealand’s target of raising defence spending to 2 per cent of the economy is not enough and was an example of “freeloading”. He hinted that nations should aspire to a target as high as 3.5 per cent. “That would be extremely challenging,” Willis

More Hong Kong tourists drawn to ‘mysterious’ Central Asia, travel agencies say

The mystique of Central Asia and its deepening business ties with mainland China have prompted more Hongkongers to choose the region for holidays, according to travel agency heads. They were also optimistic that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s high-level visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this week would further promote Central Asia, encouraging residents to step off the beaten path and explore the region’s lesser-known tourism spots. Alex Lee Chun-ting, general manager of Miramar Travel,...

‘Sleep with eyes open’: China woman’s bungled double eyelid surgery causes complications

A woman in eastern China has been left unable to sleep with her eyes shut and is constantly crying because of a bungled double eyelid operation she underwent six years ago. The woman, surnamed Wang, drew wide attention on mainland social media after she shared her legal disputes with the cosmetic clinic in late May. In June 2020, Wang went to Meixi Cosmetic Surgery Clinic in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, for a double eyelid surgery, which cost her 12,000 yuan (US$1,800), reported the Shanghai...

The situation at a glance: Iran insists on releasing frozen foreign assets

The Iranian economy is in crisis, the middle class is groaning under high inflation. How the debate about blocked foreign assets is shaping the talks about an agreement with the USA.

+++ Ukraine War +++: Zelensky renews warning of massive Russian attack

IAEA demands access to turbine hall in Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant +++ Rosatom – Ukrainian drone hits Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant +++ The news blog.

+++ Iran War +++: US military stops merchant ship on its way to Iran

Hegseth - Are ready for renewed attacks on Iran +++ Reports - No decision at Iran meeting in the White House +++ Hegseth: Are ready for renewed attacks on Iran +++ The news blog.

Life insurance: let it continue, rely on premium-free or buy it back (and put it in an ETF)?

In my ETF start-up post, I not only received extremely helpful support, I was also advised several times to rethink the life insurance I've had for years, which my father invested for me at some point. I have already spoken to my financial advisor Mr. GPT about this, but I would be interested in your opinion on this. Here are the key data: Runs monthly since November 2004. Rate: currently a good 90€ (increases every year, at the beginning it was something like 30 or 40€) Current

US reverses new rule on overseas applications for green cards

The Trump administration has walked back its announcement that non-citizens seeking permanent US residency, commonly called a green card, would need to return to their home country to apply, The New York Times reported. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the newspaper on Friday that its policy announcement last week was not a requirement for all applicants, but would rather be implemented “on a case-by-case basis”. A Trump administration spokesman, Zach Kahler, said on May 22 that...

Dealing with high sales costs (deposit) Comdirect

Hello everyone. After years of saving for my savings plans at Comdirect and saving for various stocks, ETFs and funds, I noticed during a conversation with a friend how damn high the costs are for selling my stocks etc.?! I like to be over 10%! Is this normal with Comdirect? And to learn from that, how do you do that? Or do all banks want that much for sales (except TradeRepublic)? VG! submitted by /u/LazyHazy22

Ukraine war: IAEA examines allegations of drone attack on Zaporizhia nuclear power plant

Moscow accuses Ukraine of a drone attack on the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Kyiv denies. The International Atomic Energy Agency is now investigating the allegations.