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How to Make Your New Home Construction Greener

Rammed Earth ConstructionRammed earth construction is an eco-friendly construction technique that is gaining popularity. It’s green because it uses local dirt and materials to cut out the need for lumber, stone and brick from long-distance sources. Using local dirt and stone, a contractor will compress a mixture into an external frame to build walls that have slightly…

Japanese exports tumble amid territorial dispute

Not since the earthquake and tsunami in 2011 have Japanese exports declined so sharply as this past September, figures from the Ministry of Finance confirm. Overseas shipments from Japan have fallen 10.3 percent year-on-year. The drop in exports is being attributed to the difficult diplomatic relations between China and Japan following a tense stand-off over…

Results confusion causes Google stocks to plummet

An accidental email containing Google’s incomplete financial report was sent to the US stock market ahead of scheduled revealing that the internet giant missed growth forecasts. It caused a wave of stunned investors to rush to sell their Google stocks at up to eight percent lower prices, until trading was suspended on the stocks. Larry…

New home construction surge in US

Data released by the US Department of Commerce has revealed that new home construction has surged in September, growing at its fastest in four years. Housing starts were up 15 percent from August, with a seasonably adjusted annual rate of 872,000. The figure is well above analysts’ expectations of 765,000 new units starting construction. Building…

Singapore clamps down on foreign tax dodgers

A deal between Germany and Singapore will help Berlin track down potential tax evaders, using Singaporean banks to hide away assets. It was announced by Germany’s finance minister Wolgang Schäuble, who is visiting Singapore, and local authorities. The deal follows another announcement in early October by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) which plans to…

India ends infrastructure investment draught

The Indian government has announced plans to award $2.3bn worth of state-sponsored highway contracts in the next six months in a bid to boost the quality of infrastructure in the country. The country has previously operated under a system that saw private investors fund the construction of highways through bank loans, and recouped their investment…