Asking prices for homes on sale in Britain posted the largest monthly fall on record in December but are likely to rise by between 4 and 5 percent next year, property website Rightmove said on Monday.
Regions
China says U.S. appropriations bill violates rules, sends bad signal
China is unhappy with the U.S. spending bill passed by the House of Representatives last week, saying it contains discriminatory clauses that violate the rules of fair trade and "send the wrong signal".
After conquering iron ore, BHP and Rio move to dominate in copper
Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton are amassing vast copper holdings in a push to capture a greater chunk of the $140 billion world market, apparently aiming to squeeze out high-cost producers just as they did in the global iron ore business.
Oil hits new five-year low before rallying to $63
Brent crude oil hit a fresh five-year low close to $60 a barrel on Monday after producer group OPEC restated its determination not to cut output despite a global fuel glut, but the North Sea benchmark later rallied to around $63.
Fed faces big decision over a few choice words
Federal Reserve officials will decide this week whether to make a critical change to their policy statement that would widen the door for interest rate hikes next year and effectively bet the United States will continue to shine in a gloomy global economy.
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French hotel operator Accor announced a strategic alliance with China Lodging Group on Sunday to create a major new player in the fast-growing Chinese domestic travel and hospitality market.
Confidence among Japanese manufacturers worsened slightly in the fourth quarter and firms expect conditions to deteriorate more, highlighting the challenges premier Shinzo Abe faces in reviving the economy a day after his big win in Sunday's snap election.
Technip (TECF.PA) has ruled out making an offer for seismic surveys specialist CGG (GEPH.PA) after talks with the company failed to produce an agreement, the French oil services group said on Sunday.
Pet supply retailer PetSmart Inc succumbed to calls from some shareholders for a sale on Sunday with an agreement to be bought by a private equity consortium led by BC Partners Ltd for $8.7 billion, in the largest leveraged buyout of the year.
The court order that banned Chinese mobile maker Xiaomi from selling its phones in India has halted its breakneck expansion into the world's fastest growing major smartphone market and could be just the start of a string of patent challenges.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande urged Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko on Sunday to press ahead with reforms to facilitate an economic recovery and access to foreign aid.
Chinese financial firms are targeting purchases of distressed banking assets coming on the market in Europe, having been urged by Beijing to expand their reach beyond emerging markets.
Takata Corp. (7312.T) has begun enforcing tighter quality controls on a group of parts suppliers as the auto safety equipment maker boosts production to replace millions of air bags recalled for a potentially deadly defect, according to people involved.
Nasdaq OMX Group announced late Friday the results of its annual re-ranking of the Nasdaq 100 index, which will cause a reshuffling of several constituents.
