Cheong Seang-hoi, CEO and president of Koramco REITs Management and Trust / Courtesy of Koramco REITs Management and Trust Asset managers’ ability to source, structure and manage investments has become increasingly critical amid high interest rates and a prolonged property market correction, which have heightened uncertainty across Korea’s real estate investment industry. Cheong Seang-hoi, CEO and president of Koramco REITs Management and Trust, described the current market environment not simply as a downturn, but as a proving ground for asset managers. In a recent interview with The Korea Times, he said Koramco views the ongoing market correction as…

University in 2027: see how much your degree will cost Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. AAA The contentious Job-ready Graduates funding means a “significant minority” of arts graduates may never repay their student debt, a leading university analyst has warned, as the cost of Australian degrees rises 3.5 per cent from last year. The federal government has released university course costings for 2027, with law, accounting, business, economics, communications, history, philosophy, political science and anthropology all costing an eye-watering $18,025 a year. Over the course of a…

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on July 21, 2026 in New York City. Spencer Platt \| Getty Images Stock futures fell early Wednesday as investors looked ahead to another busy day of corporate earnings, with several major technology and industrial companies set to report. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 24 points, or less than 0.1%. S\&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures were down 0.3% and 0.7%, respectively. Earnings take center stage again on Wednesday, with reports due from ServiceNow, International Business Machines, Tesla, Texas Instruments, Alphabet and AT\&T. Investors will be watching…

India’s philanthropic landscape has changed more in the past decade than many realise. Domestic private giving — through family philanthropy, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and individual donors — has grown rapidly and now far outstrips annual foreign philanthropic inflows. A new generation of entrepreneurs is rethinking differently about giving, while millions of Indians are entering the markets through mutual funds, systematic investment plans (SIP), and Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Against this backdrop, the debate around the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) takes on a different meaning: less a dispute about foreign funding…

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political…

Call for the protection of my life, the lives of my children, the protection of my privacy, an end to the misleading media trial on my person and the companies I have built with credibility and capacity over several years, the respect of Court Orders, and the protection of over $100 Million I have within the Oil \& Gas sector, and several sectors both in Nigeria and International. I, Aisha Achimugu (OFR), an Accountant and law-abiding citizen of Nigeria, (I was a wife) and now a widow of the late Engr. Sulaiman Achimugu, a man whose life was a testament to the Nigerian dream. My husband was a paragon of integrity who rose to lead the Pipelines and…

MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. The Bank of Russia purchased 4.8 bln rubles ($61.30 mln) worth of yuan on the domestic market with settlements on July 21, 2026, according to data published on the regulator's website. The volume of foreign currency purchases on the domestic market with settlements on July 20 also totaled 4.8 bln rubles. The Bank of Russia conducts foreign currency purchase and sale operations on the domestic market in the yuan-ruble instrument on the Moscow Exchange's currency market.

Chinese regulators moved on Tuesday to improve the quality of credit ratings for panda bonds – a yuan-denominated asset class that has seen a surge in interest from foreign sovereign and institutional investors this year as a key tool to bolster Beijing’s yuan-internationalisation push. Credit-rating agencies must adhere to the principles of independence, objectivity and prudence, according to a circular posted to the website of the National Association of Financial Market Institutional Investors. The self-regulatory body, under the central bank, oversees the interbank market, where most panda bonds are traded. Under the new rules, rating agencies…

MANILA, Philippines — Local stocks fell for a second straight session on Wednesday as profit-taking in index heavyweight International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) and higher oil prices weighed on sentiment alongside a weaker peso. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) dropped 1.04 percent, or 65.95 points, to close at 6,267.85. Philstocks Financial Inc. said profit-taking in ICTSI kept the market under pressure, dragging the main index lower. Wait-and-see trading Investors remained cautious as rising oil prices, a record-low peso and the Iran conflict fueled uncertainty. “The selling pressure pushed the benchmark index…

House prices rising fastest in Groningen, slowest in Amsterdam July 22, 2026 Photo: Depositphotos.com See more DutchNews articles in your Google search results See more DutchNews articles in your Google search results Add as a favourite source on Google Add DutchNews as a favourite source on Google House prices are climbing fastest in Groningen and slowest in the Randstad, figures from the national statistics office CBS and the Land Registry showed on Tuesday. Homes in Groningen province cost 7.9% more in the second quarter than a year earlier – the biggest rise in the country – while in Noord-Holland prices went up just 2.4%. House prices rose 4.2%…

MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. Brent crude is expected to trade in the $80-90 per barrel range over the next month, while a sustained move above $90 would require major disruptions in the market, experts interviewed by TASS said. "We believe the baseline scenario for the next month is that Brent will fluctuate within a broad range of around $80-90 per barrel. For prices to remain above $90 per barrel, the market would need more than just alarming headlines - it would require truly significant events, such as strikes on oil infrastructure, a prolonged disruption of shipping routes, or substantial supply interruptions," analyst at Finam Financial Group…

Brazil · Business Key Facts —Foreign inflows into B3. R$42.56 billion (US$8.4 billion) in net foreign inflows hit Brazil’s stock exchange in January and February 2026. —Brazil-focused ETF demand. About US$3.4 billion flowed into Brazil-focused ETFs over three months, with net inflows above 20% of starting assets. —Manager fundraising. Capital Strategies raised nearly R$3 billion (US$592 million) for Brazilian managers in 12 months, with a similar pipeline ahead. —Key draw for investors. Cheaper valuations, a weaker US dollar, and falling local interest rates are pulling global money back to Brazilian equities. —Sectors in focus. Banks, commodities,…

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political…

Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has asked US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to provide Islamabad with a USD 10 billion Exchange Stabilisation Support Facility to help strengthen the country’s economy, according to a media report. The request was reported by Dawn, which said Pakistan’s embassy in Washington confirmed the development but did not share further details. An official readout issued by the embassy said Aurangzeb had sought US support for Pakistan’s road-to-market strategy, which is based on improved access to international capital markets, higher foreign exchange reserves and better sovereign credit ratings. The readout,…

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine peso weakened to its record-low level on Wednesday as a resurgent dollar and renewed Middle East tensions fueled demand for haven assets and weighed on emerging-market currencies. READ: Peso seen weakening to 63:$1 by end-2026 The peso fell by 0.5 centavos to close at 61.75 against the dollar, matching the record-low finish it set on May 18. READ: Peso at risk of hitting 64:$1 level–MUFG The latest decline extended pressure on the currency as investors sought safety amid re-escalating geopolitical risks and a stronger US dollar. /pai INQ...Keep on reading: Peso tumbles to record low as Middle East tensions boost…

Profits at Norway’s state oil company nearly doubled to $11.5bn (£8.6bn) in the three months to the end of June, as earnings were boosted by the jump in oil and gas prices caused by the US-Israel war on Iran. Equinor benefited from a decision to ramp up oil and gas production since the start of the conflict, filling a gap in the market after a slump in oil flows from the Gulf amid the throttling of shipping traffic through the strait of Hormuz. Equinor also profited from the jump in oil prices. Fears over a drop in global supplies left Brent crude prices swinging between $75 and more than $100 a barrel between April and June this year. That compares…

Brazil · Business Key Facts —Amount raised. R$1.5 billion (US$296 million) via local letras financeiras. —Issuing entity. Mercado Crédito SCFI, the group’s Brazilian finance company. —Maturity and cost. Two series at 2 and 3 years, paying CDI plus 0.39% and 0.47%. —Total demand. Orders reached roughly R$3.3 billion (US$651 million). —2026 Brazil capex plan. Mercado Livre earmarked R$57 billion (US$11.2 billion) for the country. Mercado Livre, Latin America’s largest e-commerce and fintech platform, raised R$1.5 billion (US$296 million) in Brazil’s local debt market on July 21, 2026, pulling in nearly double the demand it needed. Mercado Livre Raises…

As the conflict involving Iran intensifies, the focus of the renewed US military campaign has shifted to the country's southern coast, particularly the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas. Washington's objective is to weaken Iran's ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz with missiles, drones and fast attack boats. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. Before the conflict, nearly 20 per cent of global oil and gas supplies passed through these waters. Any disruption has immediate consequences for energy markets and international trade . Bandar Abbas, located on Iran's southern coast along the…

Asian shares traded mixed on Wednesday after Wall Street rallied, even as higher oil prices and inflation concerns kept investors cautious. Gains in US technology and chip stocks linked to the artificial-intelligence boom helped lift sentiment, but markets also weighed the risk that rising energy costs could lead central banks to keep interest rates higher. In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.2 per cent to finish at 66,115.60, Australia's S\&P/ASX 200 added 0.3 per cent to 8,823.00, South Korea's Kospi rose 0.7 per cent to 6,797.70, Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 1.1 per cent to 24,866.67, and the Shanghai Composite slipped less than 0.1 per…

The four largest US technology companies are on course to spend close to $700bn on artificial intelligence infrastructure this year, and the cost is starting to show up in the one figure that is hard to dress up: free cash flow. An analysis by Reuters, found that combined capital spending across the major cloud operators is set to overtake the cash their core businesses generate. Wall Street’s consensus for this year’s AI capex has climbed from roughly $485bn in January to about $730bn by July, on the figures Reuters compiled. The sharpest early warning came from Amazon, whose free cash flow fell to $1.2bn on a trailing 12-month basis in the first…

The NYK Venus container ship, operated by Nippon Yusen KK, moored at the Oi Container Terminal in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. Bloomberg \| Bloomberg \| Getty Images Japan exports in June grew at their fastest pace since November 2022, rising 19.3% from a year earlier, powered by shipments of semiconductor equipment and a weak yen. Exports growth beat expectations of an 18.6% rise from economists polled by Reuters, and was higher than the 16.8% seen in May. Shipments to Asia rose 22.7%, most notably seeing a 46.4% jump in exports to Taiwan compared to the same period last year. Exports to China, Japan's largest trading partner, increased…

UK inflation dropped by more than expected in June to 2.6%, in a boost for Andy Burnham’s plans to reduce the cost of living. The new prime minister has pledged to bring down the cost of living to give households more disposable income and improve the outlook for the economy, announcing a winter VAT cut on electricity bills and lowering the cap on bus fares in England. Last month’s consumer prices index reading outdid economists’ forecasts of a slide from 2.8% in May to 2.7%, amid a fall in the prices of fuel, particularly diesel, helped by the unstable truce in the Middle East conflict. The Office for National Statistics said clothing also dropped in…

When global index provider MSCI warned in January that Indonesia risked being demoted from emerging to frontier market status, it unleashed a wave of volatility, sell-offs and wild trading swings. Six months on, Jakarta’s investment chief argues the real story is not about whether the country can earn investors’ trust. “For Indonesia, this is not about short-term market status,” Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani told This Week in Asia in written replies to questions. “It is about building a deeper, more credible, and more investible capital market.” MSCI’s warning centred on what it characterised as opaque shareholding structures and suspicions of…

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TOKYO, July 22. /TASS/. Trade turnover between Japan and Russia increased by 15% in the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, reaching 670 bln yen (about $4.1 bln), according to TASS calculations based on statistical data published by Japan's Ministry of Finance. The total value of Japanese imports from Russia increased by 10.9% to 456.6 bln yen ($2.8 bln). Imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) rose by 0.3% compared with January-June 2025. Purchases of Russian coal increased by 15.8%. In addition, according to TASS calculations, Japan purchased about 1.53 mln barrels of Russian oil in May and June, at an average…

Rio Times Global Economy Briefing The Big Three Wall Street snaps losing streak on tech rebound The S\&P 500 closed up 0.89% near 7,509, snapping a three-day slide as semiconductor stocks surged on stronger Korean and Taiwanese export data, stabilising global risk appetite after an AI-driven rout. Oil breaks above $90, stoking inflation fears Brent crude hit $91.24, up 2.26%, driven by Middle East supply threats including Houthi rebel escalation, feeding into global inflation risks that complicate the Fed’s rate path and squeeze Latin American importers. Brazil’s Selic anchors real as carry trade thrives With the policy rate at 14.25% after cautious…

The enrolment of male students dropped by 2.2% between 2022-23 and 2023-24 while that of female students increased by 1.8%. \| Photo Credit: lakshmiprasad S Even as issues around education have momentarily taken centre-stage amid the protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and activist Sonam Wangchuk in Delhi, the reports based on the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) for two years released together after inordinate delay by the Union Ministry of Education (MoE) earlier this month has largely gone unnoticed. Importantly, the strange trend that has gone unreported is the inexplicable decline in the total number of students enrolled…

Africa · Western Key Facts —2027 Launch Confirmed. ECOWAS heads of state reiterated at their July 2026 summit in Sierra Leone that the ECO will launch in 2027. —Multi-Speed Rollout. Only member states that meet economic convergence criteria and are deemed “ready” will adopt the currency in the first phase. —Ghana in Core Group. Ghana is explicitly cited alongside Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and The Gambia as a potential first-wave adopter, pending compliance. —Convergence Gaps Remain. As of 2024, only Cape Verde and Benin met all four primary convergence criteria, raising questions about the 2027 timeline’s realism. —Two-Track Currency…

Today in crypto, Balaji Srinivasan’s Network School is looking to Kazakhstan after setbacks in Malaysia, Bitcoin climbed on hopes for US crypto legislation and a rotation out of AI stocks, and UK lawmakers launched an inquiry into banking access for crypto firms. Balaji’s Network School turns to Kazakhstan amid Malaysia setback Balaji Srinivasan’s Network School, a community of “digital nomads,” is eyeing a new campus in Kazakhstan after its Forest City campus had its business license revoked over alleged premises-use violations. A memorandum of understanding was signed between Kazakhstan’s Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace…

Rio de Janeiro — Mild, dry winter sunshine holds through the afternoon before a cool evening — perfect for a long lunch outdoors. Botafogo host Santos at 7:30 pm at the Nilton Santos in the Brasileirão restart — the day’s main sporting pulse. Markets closed mixed on Tuesday with the real easing 0.33% to 5.0732 to the dollar, nudging dollar earners’ spending power. A day for a beachside morning, a Centro art detour, then football under the lights. Rio de Janeiro Daily Brief for Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Photo: The Rio Times archive. One-stop reference Company Intelligence Every listed company in Latin America — financials, ownership and structure for…