TOKYO -- SoftBank Group Corp. on Thursday announced a net loss of 1.41 trillion yen (9.3 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of fiscal 2023, or the April-September period.

The figure expanded from a net loss of 129.1 billion yen booked a year earlier, with the losses in the recording period attributed in part to a fall in the value of its investment portfolio, the group reported. (Japan-SoftBank-Results)

- - - -

MANILA -- The Philippine economy expanded by 5.9 percent in the third quarter year-on-year, bringing the country's gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the first three quarters to 5.5 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Thursday.

PSA's head Dennis Mapa told a news conference that the main contributors to the GDP growth in the third quarter were wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, financial and insurance activities, and construction.

- - - -

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli government's 12-month budget deficit surged to 47.2 billion shekels (12.28 billion U.S. dollars), or 2.6 percent of its GDP, according to the country's Finance Ministry on Wednesday.

The deficit figure, which refers to the period between November 2022 and October 2023, was affected by the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, compared to the 27.4-billion-shekel 12-month deficit reported a month ago. (Israel-Budget Deficit-Conflict)

- - - -

WINDHOEK -- Namibia's central bank announced on Wednesday that it is further easing restrictions on home loans in a bid to revive the country's long-depressed housing and construction sectors.

The Bank of Namibia (BoN) said in a statement that a mortgage loan for a second residential property no longer requires any deposit, while mortgage loans for third and subsequent residential properties only require a 10 percent deposit. (Namibia-Home loans-Bank) Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)