Britain's finance minister Alistair Darling has closed a loophole in Sharia finance rules that allow commercial property investors to avoid paying stamp duty on more than EUR 1.3 bn of property deals in Britain, the Times reported on Thursday. The changes are part of the minister's 2008 budget plans published on Wednesday.
Swiss real estate group Investis has boosted its real estate holdings with the CHF 139 mln (€149 mln) purchase of prime residential properties in Vaud canton.
