China's new home prices will likely show no growth this year, according to a Reuters poll, highlighting the intense pressure in the crisis-hit property sector that has put a choke-hold on the economy and left policymakers in a scramble to restore confidence.

By Julie Zhu, Fanny Potkin, Eduardo Baptista and Michael Martina

(Reuters) -Australia's Fortescue on Monday reported a $1 billion pre-tax impairment charge associated with its flagship magnetite growth project, while posting its lowest annual profit in three years amid a surprise senior-management overhaul.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell historically has come to the influential economic symposium held each August in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with an urgent task in mind - whether debuting a new way of conducting monetary policy or schooling wayward markets.

Private equity firm PAI Partners said on Thursday it agreed to buy Alphia Inc from its owner J.H. Whitney Capital Partners, in a deal that people familiar with the matter said values the pet food manufacturer at about $1 billion, including debt.

Inflation has tumbled spectacularly across much of the world this year but the job is only half done, even if top central banks are now getting ready to wrap up their most aggressive interest rate hike cycle in history.