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First Half

Not many former nurses have set up a multimillion-pound global skincare company, let alone one that has 100 per cent chemical-free oils and balms, which are some of the purest on the planet. Nor have many developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of the extraordinary healing uses of plants; run private yoga, massage and meditation retreats for Hollywood actresses and New York fashion queens; helped revive frankincense production in […]

US stocks hit fresh highs on Tuesday led by transportation, as investors solidified their bets on an improving economy under the Trump administration. The benchmark S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite each clinched their best daily performances since the day before the US election, with the first two also setting new records. Stock markets have been invigorated by the possibility of a wave of […]

Blackrock’s chief multi-asset strategist summed up tomorrow’s anxiously awaited ECB meeting best by noting that “what’s priced into markets is a fully fledged extension of the [bond-buying] program,” but warns that, thanks to a muted reaction to the Italy vote and recent encouraging data, “there’s a significant chance the ECB disappoints markets.” As bond traders bet on a six-month QE extension, Citi warns, anything less will be […]

By Sarah Marsh | HAVANA HAVANA Cuba said on Wednesday it hoped to sign off on at least half a dozen agreements with the United States before businessman Donald Trump, who has threatened to derail detente between the former Cold War foes, becomes president on Jan. 20. Cuban and U.S. officials held talks in Havana to discuss what more could be accomplished during President Barack Obama’s remaining […]

News stories are released on weekdays. 2 hours ago Vatican confirms ban on homosexual candidates for priesthood The Vatican has confirmed that homosexual men should not be ordained to the priesthood. In a new instruction for the training of seminarians, entitled The Gift of the Priestly Vocation, the Congregation for the Clergy says that the Church “cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those […]

Slack’s push to become the de facto communications portal in the enterprise workflow got a boost on Wednesday with the announcement of an expanded partnership with Google Cloud. The workplace collaboration platform said the latest tie-up is a continuation of a long established alliance — Google Docs and Drive were among the earliest Slack integrations and remain among the most popular, with some 60,000 Drive files imported […]

Softbank president Masayoshi Son walked out of President-Elect Trump’s office with a big grin on his face this yesterday, which can only signify one thing for me: a Sprint/T-Mobile merger is a done deal. Actual news stories don’t want to say this, because Trump and Son didn’t say it explicitly. According to the New York Times, Son “is projected” to spend half of his $100 […]

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By Lisa Barrington and Tom Perry | BEIRUT BEIRUT Syrian rebels in besieged eastern Aleppo called on Wednesday for an immediate five-day ceasefire and the evacuation of civilians and wounded, but gave no indication they were ready to withdraw as demanded by Damascus and Moscow. The Syrian army and allied forces have made rapid gains against insurgents in the past two weeks and look closer than ever […]

Dubai aims to become the seventh leading maritime capital of the world by 2020 ahead of London, New York, Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Rio de Janeiro The UAE is first WTO member from the Arab region to ratify the new Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in April 2016 07 December 2016Dubai aims to become the seventh leading maritime capital of the world by 2020 ahead of London, New […]

This is part of a series on the global rise of exchange traded funds Have we reached Peak ETF? And are we therefore at last in a “stockpicker’s market” where active fund managers skilled in bottom-up stock selection can feast on the mispricings and anomalies that the herd of exchange traded funds have left in their wake? It is beguiling to think that this could have happened. […]

DUBAI // The first day’s play at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters was called off on Wednesday following the death of a player’s caddie. The Ladies European Tour (LET) initially suspended play at the Majlis at Emirates Golf Club at 10.30am, after a caddie collapsed on the par-5 13th. He was attended to by medical staff and then taken by ambulance to Rashid Hospital. His death was […]

Wednesday 06:00 GMT Overview Bourses across Asia were higher, taking their cue from Wall Street’s return to near record highs and rally in Europe led by Italian banks. European bourses are expected to open firmer, with spreadbetters predicting the UK’s FTSE 100 will add 30 points to 6,810 and Germany’s Dax to gain 60 points to 10,835. US index futures suggest the S&P 500 will shed 1 […]

By Beth Pinsker | NEW YORK NEW YORK Want to save a few quick bucks on your holiday shopping? Your credit card may offer some little-known perks that could save you money both upfront and after the purchase. Of the 100 most popular credit cards, 81 offered some kind of extended warranty, according to a study released on Wednesday from Creditcards.com, a card rating website run by […]

Chesapeake Energy, the indebted US energy group that was among the pioneers of the country’s shale revolution, tapped debt markets for the first time in more than two years on Tuesday in a deal that underlined renewed appetite for oil and gas assets. The Oklahoma-based company, which defaulted on some of its obligations this year, secured $1bn in a larger than expected financing to repay as much […]

By Hani Amara | SIRTE, Libya SIRTE, Libya Libyan forces backed by U.S. air strikes finished clearing the last Islamic State holdout in Sirte on Tuesday after a near seven-month battle for the militant group’s former North African stronghold. The forces gained full control over a final patch of ground in Sirte’s Ghiza Bahriya district after hours of clashes. Several dozen women and children who had been […]

By Angus McDowall , John Davison and Stephanie Nebehay | BEIRUT/GENEVA BEIRUT/GENEVA Syria’s army and allies closed in on areas near Aleppo’s Old City on Tuesday, looking closer than ever to achieving their most important victory of the five year civil war by driving rebels out of their last urban stronghold. Rebels said on Tuesday they would never abandon Aleppo, after reports that U.S. and Russian diplomats […]

The petrochemical sector helped carry Saudi Arabia’s stock market to a fresh one-year closing high on Tuesday after crude oil prices hit a 17-month peak. The main Saudi index added 0.7 percent to 7,155 points in extremely heavy turnover with gainers outnumbering losers 139 to 18. The index is now up 3.5 percent year-to-date. The petrochemical sector stayed strong; it has been contributing to the market’s positive […]

By Jonathan Cable | LONDON LONDON Britain will most likely leave the European Union having signed a bilateral trade agreement, according to a Reuters poll of economists on Tuesday that also suggested there remains little chance of the country slipping into recession. Since the June 23 decision to leave the EU, Britain’s economy has performed much better than had been previously feared. The Bank of England is […]

It’s been a bad year for newspapers. Money from print advertising is tanking. Layoffs have affected newsrooms large and small. And The President-elect isn’t shy about abusing journalists on Twitter. But today, just a few weeks before Christmas, the clouds parted a bit as New York Times CEO Mark Thompson spoke at the UBS Global Media & Communications Conference in Manhattan. He dispensed a couple of encouraging […]

A bacteria that carries a transmissible gene resistant to carbapenems, one of the most important classes of antibiotics used against multidrug resistant bacteria, has been found in animals in the United States. Carbapenem Resistant Bacteria In hospitals, carbapenem antibiotics are used as a last line of defense against bacterial infections that are difficult to treat but these drugs are not allowed for veterinary use as a precautionary […]

The inaugural event will serve as a platform for industry wide knowledge exchange and discussions around legacy creation 06 December 2016 Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Dubai Business Events in collaboration with the BestCities Global Alliance and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), inaugurated the first ever BestCities Global Forum yesterday. Dubai is proud to host the first event of its kind organised by the global alliance, set […]

ABU DHABI // As ties between Turkey and the UAE grow increasingly warm, Ankara’s new ambassador — formerly the most senior Middle East official in the Turkish foreign ministry — says his appointment shows his country is serious about improving bilateral ties. “That is my mission here,” Ambassador Can Dizdar, who began his tenure in October, told The National. “I want to increase the pace, and achieve […]

The federal government has handed out the first round of its AU$8 million Women in STEM kitty in a bid to encourage more female involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-based careers. The AU$3.9 million in funding will be spread across 24 organisations to roll out projects aimed at building interest in STEM for primary school age students, supporting post-graduates and women already pursuing STEM careers, […]

Yet now, on the eve of his second season as the coach at the Patrick School, Rice may be well positioned to continue his career rehabilitation in a major way: with a job on a much bigger stage. His Patrick School team, which opens the season Dec. 16 at the City of Palms tournament in Florida, is loaded with talent and will appear in several nationally televised […]

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