Author: Euronews

Europe is the hottest market for swapping property for cryptocurrencies, according to the founders of asset-backed cryptocurrency Unicoin. ADVERTISEMENTA large chunk of the world’s wealth today is locked in illiquid assets, therefore they are typically traded at a discount. According to a recent study by the Boston Consulting Group, “tokenisation” – using cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology promises to turn illiquid assets such as properties into capital flows – and this market is expected to grow to $16 trillion (€14.85 trillion) by 2030.Although the use of these new digital tools has yet to be widely regulated in the US, new laws in…

Xi Jinping’s state visit to Serbia takes place on the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese embassy by NATO in 1999. Source link

Eurozone retail sales in March surged, marking the highest increase since September 2022. European stocks reacted positively, buoyed by better-than-expected corporate earnings and hopes of an ECB interest rate cut. ADVERTISEMENTEurozone retail sales witnessed their sharpest monthly increase since September 2022, displaying promising signs of economic recovery in household consumption.Data released by Eurostat on Tuesday revealed retail sales in the euro area advanced by 0.8% month-on-month in March. The rebound came after an upwardly revised decline of 0.3% in February and exceeded market expectations of a 0.6% increase.Annually, sales grew by 0.7%, reversing a 0.5% contraction in February and marking…

The missile strike in Belgrade in 1999 — which Washington claimed was a mistake — took place during NATO’s intervention over Kosovo. ADVERTISEMENTChinese leader Xi Jinping continued his European tour by visiting ally Serbia on Tuesday.The trip falls on a symbolic date: the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade during NATO’s intervention over Kosovo.US jets dropped five bombs on the Chinese Embassy compound in the Serbian capital on 7 May 1999. Three Chinese nationals were killed, and 20 others were injured. Xi referenced the bombing directly in an op-ed published in Serbia’s Politika newspaper on Tuesday,…

No major deals have emerged from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s European visit despite efforts to find common ground on a number of topics. Source link

Ioannis Lagos, a founder of the far-right party, continued to claim an MEP’s salary and costs even after he was sentenced to 13 years in jail. ADVERTISEMENTThe European Parliament must publish details of the expense claims made by jailed Golden Dawn MEP Ioannis Lagos, judges said today (8 May).Lagos was sentenced by a Greek court to over 13 years in jail when his far-right party was deemed a criminal organisation in 2020, but continued to claim a salary and expenses from the European Parliament for months after.The request for information is legitimate as it’s “intended to facilitate enhanced public scrutiny…

As Japan’s government steps in to bolster its currency, the weakness of the yen against the euro and the dollar has led to a surprise boost for tourism. Source link

The European People’s Party (EPP) has refused to sign a joint statement endorsed by the main political parties that denounces violence against lawmakers in the run-up to the June elections. ADVERTISEMENTThe declaration, titled “In Defence of Democracy,” was released on Wednesday with the signatures of the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), Renew Europe, the Greens/EFA and The Left but, remarkably, without the stamp of the centre-right formation.The two-page statement is a reaction to the attack against Matthias Ecke, a socialist MEP who was beaten up over the weekend while he was putting up campaign posters in Dresden, Germany. Four suspects, aged…

BP’s net profit for the first quarter saw a further decline owing to weakened oil and gas prices. Despite this, the oil giant has reaffirmed its commitment to the share buyback plan of $3.5 billion in the first half of the year. ADVERTISEMENTBP reported first-quarter earnings that fell short of market expectations, primarily due to weakened oil and gas prices impacting its profit margin. The British energy giant maintained the share buyback plan of $3.5 billion in the first half of the year, with $1.75 billion completed in May of 2024. Furthermore, it announced a dividend payout of 7.27 cents…

Diplomats agreed the controversial plans at a meeting today – but some say they don’t go far enough. Source link