News Archive for February 16, 2015

  • Rihanna, Sarah Jessica Parker Design Fendi Bags

    High above New York City on Friday, in a luxury condominium on the 83rd floor of the 90-story glass skyscraper One57, yes, there were panoramic views of Manhattan. But it was a small baguette that grabbed our attention.

  • Five Held After Jewish Cemetery Defiled in France

    PARIS—French police detained five teenage boys for questioning in relation to the desecration of a Jewish cemetery in the eastern part of the country, an incident that has raised anxiety among French Jews about their security.

  • Cricket’s Big Day Falls on Valentine’s, Bowling Couples a Googly

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  • Denmark Holds Two After Copenhagen Attacks

    A Danish court on Monday ordered two men suspected of helping a gunman behind deadly twin attacks be held in jail, as local media painted a picture of the attacker as a convicted criminal recently drawn to Islamic radicalism.

  • ‘Fifty Shades’ Nets $94.4 Million in Debut

    The competition had no choice but to submit to “Fifty Shades of Grey."The erotic romance movie easily took the top spot at the box office, collecting an estimated $94.4 million over the long holiday weekend. The adaptation of E L James's ...

  • For Teens, Sleep Habits Run in the Family

    To understand teenagers' sleep habits, look at their parents, a study suggests. When parents go to bed, how long they sleep and when they wake up may help to shape their children's sleep patterns during adolescence, according to the study, ...

  • Pemex Delays Refinery Upgrades Due to Budget Cuts

    MEXICO CITY—Mexico's national oil company Petróleos Mexicanos said Monday it will postpone refinery upgrades needed to produce low-sulfur gasoline and diesel as part of about $4 billion in budget cuts that it needs to make this year in ...

  • Peruvian President’s Approval Drops to 22%

    LIMA, Peru—President Ollanta Humala's approval rating fell to 22% this month, while that of his influential first lady, Nadine Heredia, dropped to 16%, after a government prosecutor opened a new probe into her finances, pollster Ipsos Peru ...

  • Iliad Could Be French Consolidation’s Achilles’ Heel

    There is a third wheel in the potential courtship of Bouygues Telecom by Altice's Numericable.No bid is on the table, but Altice's executive chairman Patrick Drahi publicly said last year the company would be interested in buying Bouygues ...

  • GM Executives Get Restricted Stock Under New Incentive Plan

    Top General Motors Co. executives have received restricted stock awards under a new long-term incentive plan, with Chief Executive Mary Barra being awarded 15% more shares than she was given in her first year at the auto maker's helm.

  • Ukraine Truce Fades in Fight for Key Town

    In the railway town of Debaltseve, Ukraine's cease-fire lasted all of 40 minutes.“We were surprised when the firing stopped, and hoped it would be the cease-fire," said Albert Sardaryan, a 22-year-old combat paramedic in the town, by ...

  • Hard to Hedge Energy Companies’ Results

    The stock market is lacking energy this earnings season.Last July, shortly after the price of crude oil peaked for the year, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected energy companies to report year-over-year earnings per share growth of ...

  • India, Sri Lanka Sign Nuclear-Energy Deal

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  • Oil’s Black Swans on the Horizon

    Next week sees the one-year anniversary of Uber's ride-sharing service arriving in Riyadh.Disruption is creeping up on Saudi Arabia and the global oil market on which it relies. So far, this has centered on supply: North America's shale ...

  • Ignoble Questions About Noble’s Numbers

    When an unknown outfit declares one of Asia's largest commodities traders to be a “repeat of Enron," it is tempting to dismiss the whole affair as far-fetched. Given the issues raised, investors may still line up to ask questions.

  • Overheard: All Bankers Not Remunerated Equal

    Income inequality is either a great economic sickness, or the politics of envy depending, perhaps, on your salary.Banking is part of the problem, but even among the finance world's 1%, inequality is rampant. Average pay across all global ...

  • Japan’s Economy Needs a Pay Rise

    Japan's escape from recession is slow. But that doesn't mean investors should be quick to panic.In the fourth quarter, Japan's gross domestic product rose 2.2% on an annualized basis from the third quarter. Coming after two consecutive ...

  • Shanghai-Hong Kong Trading Link Struggles to Connect With Investors

    A trading link that opened up Shanghai's stock market to overseas investors has struggled to live up to expectations, with only a third of the total quota used up since its November launch, as fund managers say the program was rolled out ...

  • Hitters Who Would Love a Shrinking Zone

    Nearly 50 years ago, baseball addressed a dramatic decline in hitting by lowering the pitching mound. Now, a recent Yahoo Sports report said Major League Baseball is considering raising the strike zone in an effort to provide a boost for ...

  • China Shows Strong Investment Inflows in January

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  • Go Big Or Go Home

    Just when you think the Silicon Valley technology crowd is like the rest of us, only richer and more into writing code, you read a book like“Bold" and are reminded that, no, these people are different. Not just superficially different, but ...

  • Transocean CEO and President Steps Down

    The chief executive of Transocean Ltd. stepped down abruptly over the weekend, a casualty of the plunge in oil prices and the deep-water drilling company's ill-timed expansion.

  • Health Exchanges Extend Deadlines for Insurance Sign-Ups

    Washington state on Monday became the first state to extend the sign-up deadline for health insurance until mid-April, allowing uninsured people to get health plans while filing their tax returns.

  • In Image-Guided Operating Suites, Surgeons See Real-Time MRI, CT Scans

    Surgeons sometimes fly blind when operating on hard-to-reach anatomical parts or hard-to-see conditions. For visual references inside the brain or body, they often rely on images and scans taken before an operation.

  • A Soaring Swan Song

    The common perception of the last year of Judy Garland's life is that she was a basket case, a blithering wreck and a mere shadow of her former self; even comparatively sympathetic portrayals depict her as, at best, triumphant in defeat. ...

  • When Music Was Revered

    New YorkAssaulted by the cheapening torrent of music piped into contemporary life, we have forgotten that distant time when music was precious because the only way to hear it was live. During the age of that epochal Italian painter and ...

  • Narrowing the 90 Miles

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  • EU Imposes Sanctions on People, Institutions Involved in Ukraine Conflict

    BRUSSELS—The European Union imposed an asset freeze and travel ban on 19 people and nine organizations involved in the conflict in Ukraine on Monday, including two Russian deputy defense ministers and Iosif Kobzon, a prominent Russian ...

  • She Aims to Be Strong and Lean for Driving Formula One Cars

    In a sport where winning margins are in the seconds, Formula One drivers try to keep their cars as light as possible to get to their maximum speeds. For Susie Wolff, that includes the driver.

  • Antitrust Paradox Hangs Over Expedia-Orbitz Deal

    Expedia Inc.'sdeal to buy rival Orbitz Worldwide Inc. makes it one of the most acquisitive online travel companies in the world, but it wasn't long ago that it was warning regulators against a deal in the industry.

  • White House to Play Up Homeland Security Role

    WASHINGTON—The White House, in a standoff with Congress over funding the Department of Homeland Security, will try to keep the heat on lawmakers this week by playing up the department's role in combating terrorism and violent extremism.

  • Beetroot Juice May Help Lower Blood Pressure

    Daily consumption of beetroot juice for four weeks significantly lowered blood pressure in hypertensive patients compared with a placebo juice, according to a report in the February issue of Hypertension.

  • Cleveland Fed President Sees June Rate Increase as ‘Viable Option’

    Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester is joining a chorus of central-bank officials who want to take a tentative step toward raising short-term interest rates at midyear by altering their pledge to be “patient" before making a move.

  • Chinese Firms Tiptoe Back Into Europe’s Battered Financial Sector

    LONDON—Chinese investors, who got burned investing in big European banks during the financial crisis, are refocusing on a new target: small, struggling finance companies.

  • For Expats, Fewer Barriers to Having a Baby Overseas

    It's increasingly common for expats to give birth abroad.More employees working overseas are at an age when they want to start families and yet people see a foreign assignment as a necessary element of their résumé, says Philip Catterton, ...

  • Coffee Consumption Expected to Jump

    The world is drinking more coffee, with demand likely to rise almost 25% in the next five years, according to the International Coffee Organization.

  • Pharma Must Launch Itself Back to Full Health

    Prepare to launch.The global pharmaceuticals sector has once again found investor favor and is up 50% over the past two years. That has happened as the drag from drugs losing patent protection receded and as development pipelines improved ...

  • Labor Strife at U.S. Ports Hurting Japan Car Makers

    Stalled labor talks at West Coast ports are causing headaches for some Japanese auto makers, with parts shortages and production slowdowns affecting the pace of light-vehicle output during a period of strong demand in the U.S. market,

  • Coca-Cola Amatil Full-Year Profit Triples

    SYDNEY—Coca-Cola Co.'s Australian distributor said full-year profit more than tripled, bouncing back from the prior year when it wrote down the value of a fruit-processing business.

  • Canada Ready to Order Rail Workers Back to Work

    The Canadian government is signaling that it could introduce back-to-work legislation as early as Monday to end a strike by unionized workers at Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. that is snarling freight service across Canada.

  • 10:30

    Local time on Wednesday night when lights on the Las Vegas Strip will dim in a tribute to former University of Nevada-Las Vegas basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian. Tarkanian died on Feb. 11 at the age of 84. Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, ...

  • New European Rules Roil Global Online Gambling Industry

    LONDON—A wave of new regulation across Europe is roiling the $37 billion global online gambling industry and driving a spate of deal talks in recent weeks.

  • CapitaLand Net Profit Rises Nearly Threefold

    SINGAPORE—CapitaLand Ltd., Southeast Asia's largest developer by market value, said Tuesday its fourth-quarter net profit rose nearly threefold, mainly due to higher revaluation gains from investment properties and lower portfolio losses.

  • Fortescue Metals Profit Falls 81%

    SYDNEY—Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. said first-half profit tumbled more than 80% and that it would considerably reduce its midyear dividend amid the downturn in iron-ore prices.

  • Mondelez Buys Free-Form Snack Foods Company

    Mondelez International Inc. on Monday said it bought Enjoy Life Foods, a small, allergen-free snack foods company, in the latest in a string of acquisitions by packaged-food giants to tap into consumer hunger for cuisine deemed healthier ...

  • Indonesia Court Rules in Favor of Police Chief Nominee

    JAKARTA, Indonesia—An Indonesian court on Monday ruled in favor of a police chief nominee who had been named as a suspect in a corruption case, leaving President Joko Widodo to decide whether to push ahead with a nomination that could ...

  • Photos of the Day: Feb. 16

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  • Puma Net Loss Narrows, Management Upbeat on Sales

    HERZOGENAURACH, Germany—Puma SE almost broke even in the fourth quarter on improved sales of its sports shoes and other apparel as well as lower costs, with the German company confident a full financial turnaround is under way.

  • Europe’s Oil Companies Get a Boost From Their Refineries

    ...

  • A Lasting Fix for Europe’s Debt Woes

    Greece's new government has put Europe's debt problem back at the top of the agenda. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is hoping to renegotiate the terms of his country's debt to other European governments, while Greece's creditors are open ...

  • If Putin Should Proceed

    Dzerzhinsk, UkraineDogs barked and whined as they ran through sawdust and piles of chopped wood scattered carelessly over mud and concrete. Nearby, a group of Ukrainian soldiers from the 6th Artillery Training Regiment gathered to chat and ...

  • Europe Stocks Slip Slightly as Greece Talks Get Under Way

    European stocks slipped off seven-year highs Monday, with investors cautious as the next round of fraught negotiations between Greece and its international creditors got under way.

  • PSG Chases Elusive European Title

    PARIS—Ever since Paris Saint-Germain was acquired by a Qatari investment group in 2011, the club has been up front about its naked ambition. It even changed its motto to “Dream Bigger."

  • GM Ignition Switch Death Toll Rises to 56 People

    The number of deaths attributed to General Motors Co.'s failed ignition switch rose to 56 people as administrators of the compensation fund continued combing through the rush of claims filed just before the Jan. 31 deadline.

  • Telefónica Lowers Value of Venezuela Assets

    MADRID—Telefónica SA said it was reducing the value of its assets in Venezuela to reflect the sharp devaluation of the country's currency, hitting the Spanish telecommunication giant's profits and balance sheet.

  • Companies Turn to Europe’s High-Yield Bond Market

    Companies are raising money in the European high-yield bond market at a record pace this year, a sign that the European Central Bank's promised trillion-euro-plus monetary stimulus is already reaching into the real economy.

  • Denmark Mourns Copenhagen Shooting Victims

    Copenhagen Struck by ShootingsPeople visit the memorial site for the victims of the deadly attacks in front of the synagogue in Krystalgade in Copenhagen on Monday.

  • Singapore Noble Group Rejects Iceberg Research’s Claims

    Investors rushed to sell the shares of Singapore-listed Noble Group on Monday after a little-known research firm questioned the commodities trader's accounting practices.

  • Ukraine Cease-Fire Strained by Violence

    Ukraine's 36-hour-old cease-fire came under pressure Monday as fighting blazed around a contested eastern city and elsewhere, with both sides warning the violence is too intense to begin pulling back heavy weapons as mandated.

  • Ukraine Hopes to Get $10.8 Billion in IMF Aid in 2015

    KIEV, Ukraine—Ukraine hopes to get as much as $10.8 billion from the International Monetary Fund in 2015 and save up to $15 billion over the next four years from a planned restructuring of its foreign debt, the crisis-hit country's Finance ...

  • Hotels Where the VIPs Have 4 Legs

    Joseph Vergnetti with Maria, left, a standard poodle, and Larry, a miniature poodle, on the terrace of the VIPaws Suite in the Affinia Manhattan Hotel. The hotel expects around 200 dog guests for the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, ...

  • Kaisa Discloses Much Higher Debt Burden

    SHANGHAI—Troubled Chinese property developer Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd. told foreign bond investors Monday that it faces a $10.4 billion debt load—more than double the amount it previously disclosed—and pressed them to cut a deal to avert a ...

  • In Champions League, A Contest With Familiar Contenders

    Over the past five seasons, Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm has played in three finals of the UEFA Champions League, the most prestigious tournament in club soccer. So when he sees a title contender, he knows one.

  • New York Fashion Week: Day Four Highlights

    Highlights from New York Fashion Week Day 4.1. Photo Finish From a FriendThrough friendship, Spike Jonze, director of films such as “Her" and “Being John Malkovich," has become an unwitting fashion printmaker. The designers of Opening ...

  • Singapore Prime Minister’s Prostate Cancer Surgery Is Successful

    SINGAPORE—Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's surgery to treat prostate cancer was successful, the government said Monday.“The surgery went very smoothly, and he is expected to recover fully," the prime minister's office said in a ...

  • AirAsia’s Growth Model Under Strain

    When Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes bought the struggling AirAsia Bhd. in 2001, his goal was to build a budget airline group that could take advantage of the explosive travel growth he saw coming in the region.

  • India’s Wholesale Price Index Falls

    NEW DELHI—India's main wholesale price index fell in January as fuel prices declined.The country's wholesale price index fell 0.39% from a year earlier after rising 0.11% in December, government data showed Monday. The last time the index ...

  • Yestock Plans to Raise Up to $500 Million With Hong Kong IPO

    HONG KONG—Chinese car-rental firm Shenzhen Yestock Automobile Service Co. plans to raise between $300 million and $500 million in a Hong Kong initial public offering in the fourth quarter this year, people with direct knowledge of the deal ...

  • Japan, South Korea to Let Currency Swap Program Expire

    TOKYO—Japan and South Korea on Monday said that they will let their 14-year-old currency swap arrangement expire this month.The currency-swap program was established in 2001 to enable each nation secure dollars from the other in exchange ...

  • Oil Prices Edge Higher

    Oil prices edged up in volatile trade on Monday as investors continued to bet that the seven-month-long rout in prices is bottoming out.Brent, the global benchmark, has registered gains in the last three weeks and is up more than 30% from ...

  • German Economy Improving at Faster Pace, Boosted by Weaker Euro

    FRANKFURT—The German economy has moved out of its soft patch at a much faster pace than previously expected aided by a weaker euro, leading to an improved outlook for Europe's largest economy, the country's central bank said in its monthly ...

  • Japanese Stocks Hit Seven-Year High on GDP Data

    Stocks in Japan jumped to fresh seven-year high Monday with the countrypulling out of a recessionin the final months of 2014, but conflicting stories out of Greece and Ukraine capped gains in Asia.

  • Taiwan Raises Growth Forecast for 2015

    TAIPEI—Taiwan's government slightly raised its economic growth forecast for this year, but added that lower crude-oil prices have hurt some exports and offset growth in electronics shipments.

  • Knicks, Amar’e Stoudemire Reach Buyout Agreement

    ...

  • Infosys to Buy Automation Technology Company Panaya

    BANGALORE—Infosys Ltd. on Monday said it would buy privately-held automation technology provider Panaya Inc. in an all-cash deal for an enterprise value of $200 million.

  • Russell Westbrook Leads the West in NBA All-Star Game

    NEW YORK—The Western Conference was victorious over the East, 163-158, in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden.The exhibition, which isn't known for particularly tight defense, produced a league-record for combined points ...

  • Video Purports to Show Islamic State Beheading Egyptian Hostages

    CAIRO—Militant group Islamic State released a video late Sunday purportedly depicting the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians on a beach in Libya.

  • What’s News—

    Business & Finance*** Russian asset sales are complicating sanctions compliance for U.S. companies, which already have to contend with a complex set of rules on often-opaque companies tied to Russia and Crimea. ...

  • Heard on the Pitch

    Davis Returns to Form With Speedskating WinA year to the day after the U.S. speedskating team's Winter Olympics began to unravel, Shani Davis reclaimed his place as the top 1,000-meter skater on the planet on Saturday. Racing in Heerenveen, ...

  • What’s News—

    Business & Finance***Alibaba received a letter from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requesting more information about its interactions with a Chinese regulator about alleged sales of fake goods.

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