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Europe's commercial real estate market is defying expectations of a recovery as investor caution pins property sales to near-decade lows, Reuters reported. Some investors and banks, recognising that the outlook remains weak, are even beginning to step in to offload or restructure distressed assets, one executive said, though they added that an "extend and pretend" approach to bad debts is still commonplace. It is a marked change in mood from the beginning of 2025 when there were hopes for an end to a three-year pandemic-induced downturn, but unpredictable U.S.

Byju's founders Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath are preparing a $2.5 billion lawsuit in India and overseas as the edtech giant battles insolvency proceedings and a legal dispute with Glas Trust, trustee for Term Loan B lenders, the Times of India reported. According to their legal counsel, the planned legal action will be pursued both in India and internationally, targeting those who have allegedly harmed their reputation and business interests, including their edtech company Think & Learn.

Some of Russia’s top banking executives have concluded that the quality of their loan books is much worse than what official data show and have privately discussed the prospect of seeking a state-funded bailout should the situation worsen, Bloomberg News reported. At least three lenders the central bank has identified as systemically important have considered the possibility that they may need to be recapitalized in the next 12 months. Executives have discussed internally how they would raise the prospect with the Bank of Russia if needed.

The UK jobs market has continued to weaken, making the prospect of an interest rate cut next month even more likely, analysts say, BBC.com reported. The annual rate of pay growth in the three months between March and May slowed to 5%, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The unemployment rate has risen to 4.7%, its highest in four years, while the number of job vacancies has now been falling continuously for three years. The government said that "we need to go further" to improve the economy, while the Conservatives said the unemployment rise was a "disgrace".

Australian employment rose only marginally in June as the jobless rate jumped to the highest since late 2021, showing perhaps the first crack in what had been an unusually resilient labour market and adding to the case for a rate cut next month. Investors sent the Australian dollar down 0.7% to $0.6480, the lowest in over three weeks. Three-year government bond yields slid 10 basis points to 3.386% as markets ramped up bets for an August rate cut to 85% from 76% previously.

The U.S. Commerce Department imposed preliminary anti-dumping duties of 93.5% on Chinese imports of graphite, a key battery component, after concluding the materials had been unfairly subsidized, Bloomberg News reported. A trade association representing US graphite producers in December filed petitions with two federal agencies, asking for investigations into whether Chinese companies were violating anti-dumping laws. The new duties will add to existing rates making the effective tariff 160%, according to American Active Anode Material Producers, the trade group that filed the complaint.

China’s government is threatening to block a deal that would transfer ownership of dozens of seaports to Western investors if Cosco, China’s largest shipping company, doesn’t get a stake, the Wall Street Journal reported. The proposed sale includes two ports at the Panama Canal and more than 40 others around the world, all owned by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison. China is pushing for state-owned Cosco to be an equal partner and shareholder of the ports with BlackRock and Mediterranean Shipping Co., a containership operator.

Japan’s exports fell for a second straight month in June, fueling fears that U.S. tariffs will halt the nation’s economic recovery and complicate the central bank’s policy plans, the Wall Street Journal reported. Exports fell 0.5% compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Finance on Thursday. That was an improvement from May’s 1.7% drop but well short of an LSEG-compiled forecast for a 0.5% increase. Japan’s shipments to the U.S. slid 11.4% from a year earlier in June, highlighting the impact of higher tariffs.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cautioned Ethiopia on Tuesday that its reform agenda under a $3.4 billion loan deal is facing challenges from declining donor support, despite the country's meeting key program targets, Reuters reported. The IMF, in an extensive report, praised Ethiopian authorities for implementing economic adjustments, including subsidy cuts, monetary tightening and tax reforms. However, it warned that rising risks, such as a resurgent parallel foreign exchange market and fragile security conditions, could hinder progress and complicate debt restructuring efforts.

The European Union began proceedings against Spain over its intervention in banking mergers after the government blocked the legal combination of BBVA BBVA 0.59%increase; green up pointing triangle and Sabadell SAB 0.24%increase; green up pointing triangle for at least three years, the Wall Street Journal reported.