Town Hall News

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Friday after the U.S. stock market held near its records in a quiet day of trading. U.S. futures were higher while oil prices fell. Japan’s Nikkei 225 trimmed gains from the previous day, shedding 1.2% to 50,408.70. Government data showed household spending in Japan fell 3.0% year-on-year in October, below market expectation for a light increase and the sharpest drop since […]

Dec 5 (Reuters) – Visa is moving its European headquarters to London’s Canary Wharf, the Financial Times reported on Friday. Visa is leasing 300,000 square feet at One Canada Square for a 15-year term, the report said, adding that the firm will lease 11 floors in the building that it is set it to occupy in 2028, the newspaper reported, citing the Canary Wharf Group. Visa and Canary Wharf Group […]

TAIPEI/TOKYO, Dec 5 (Reuters) – Taiwan and Japan voiced concern on Friday over Chinese military activities in the region, after Reuters reported that Beijing had deployed a large number of vessels across East Asian waters this week in its largest maritime show of force to date. Reuters exclusively reported on Thursday that China was deploying a large number of naval and coast guard ships across East Asian waters – at […]

By Helen Reid and Greta Rosen Fondahn LONDON/STOCKHOLM, Dec 5 (Reuters) – IKEA plans to source more products from factories in the United States, the Swedish furniture group’s top supply chain executive told Reuters, as President Donald Trump’s tariffs drive up the cost of importing bookcases, mattresses and sofas. This marks a big shift for IKEA after the share of the company’s U.S.-made products declined over the past decade. Inter […]

By Ahmed Kingimi and Ben Ezeamalu MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Dec 5 (Reuters) – Two weeks after one of Nigeria’s worst school kidnappings, parents of the more than 250 missing children are desperate for news and dismayed at what they see as the slow response from authorities. Sunday Gbazali, a farmer and father of 12 whose 14-year-old son was among those seized on November 21 in a remote village of northern Nigeria, […]

Rui Hachimura hit the game-winning corner 3-pointer at the buzzer Thursday night and the visiting Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors 123-120. LeBron James set up the winning basket with his 11th assist of the game. He finished with eight points to end his streak of 1,297 consecutive games with double figures in scoring. The last time James failed to reach 10 points in a game was Jan. 5, […]

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Kevin Buckland Bets for a U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut next week sit unequivocally at the centre of the market’s focus right now, as does the murkiness of the economic data Fed officials depend on to make their policy decisions. With questions over the health of the labour market front of mind at the Fed, the most important […]

ISTANBUL, Dec 5 (Reuters) – Turkish digital asset platform Paribu said on Friday it acquired a majority stake in the Bahrain and Dubai-based cryptocurrency platform CoinMENA in a transaction valuing the company at up to $240 million. The transaction marks Turkey’s largest fintech transaction to date, as well as its first cross-border acquisition of a digital asset platform. Yasin Oral, founder and CEO of Paribu, said in a statement the […]

WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) – Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber said the arrival of elite players such as Lionel Messi has helped the sport cement its place in a crowded U.S. market, as anticipation builds across the country for Friday’s World Cup draw in Washington. Soccer has long battled for attention in a U.S. sporting landscape dominated by American football, baseball and basketball. Garber said real progress had been […]