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  SACRAMENTO / AP As California lawmakers return to Sacramento on Wednesday, liberal dreams of expanding safety-net benefits and providing health coverage to immigrants are giving way to a new vision revolving around a feverish push to protect gains racked up in the past. After years of pushing forward a progressive agenda, legislative Democrats will be pushing back against conservative ...

  Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business HE Engineer Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, recently met Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov to discuss ways to reinforce their bilateral economic and trade relations and opportunities for mutually beneficial investments. The meeting, which was held at Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, was attended by HE Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Saleh, ...

  Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business The Abu Dhabi Food Festival (ADFF) 2016 has successfully concluded, having welcomed more than 29,000 visitors and food lovers from the region, contributing to positioning Abu Dhabi as a global culinary hub. Organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), the food festival, which ran from December 5-23 across the emirate, ...

  BAGHDAD / AP A suicide bomber blew up his explosives-laden vehicle on Monday in a bustling market area in Baghdad, killing at least 36 people, Iraqi officials said, hours after the arrival of French President Francois Hollande to the country and amid a fierce fight against the IS group. The bomber driving a pickup truck attacked an outdoor fruit and ...

  Bloomberg Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp., South Korea’s largest automakers, forecast sales to climb 4.7 percent this year as they count on new model introductions to counter intensifying competition amid global uncertainties. Hyundai and Kia are targeting to deliver a combined 8.25 million vehicles in 2017 from 7.88 million units a year earlier, according to regulatory filings. ...

  Beijing / AP Beijing and other cities across northern and central China were shrouded in thick smog, prompting authorities to delay dozens of flights and close highways. The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau extended an “orange alert” for heavy air pollution for three more days. Beijing’s smog had initially been forecast to lift by Monday. The “orange alert” is ...

  Bloomberg It’s clear the era of rapid growth for US auto sales is over. The industry entered 2017 with analysts projecting the first significant decline in eight years — a drop of 200,000 vehicles, about the equivalent of one factory’s production — to 17.3 million cars and light trucks. While top-earning consumers will continue to snap up luxury vehicles ...

  Bloomberg Euro-area manufacturing expanded last month at the fastest rate since April 2011, in a sign that the currency bloc’s recovery is intact heading into 2017. A Purchasing Managers’ Index climbed to 54.9 in December, IHS Markit said on Monday. The reading matches the initial estimate on Dec. 15 and was up from 53.7 in November. Higher import costs ...

  Dubai / WAM Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on Saturday night inspected the Dubai Police operations room, set up to secure the New Year celebrations at the Burj Khalifa and on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard in Downtown Dubai. No incidents, security breaches or injuries were reported during the ...

  Dubai / WAM Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has approved the official logo of the ‘Year of Giving 2017’, to be used by all local, government and media entities in all campaigns, programmes and initiatives related to the initiative. The design of the logo reflects all meanings of giving, ...