Berlin / AFP German state rail operator Deutsche Bahn said on Thursday it planned to significantly ramp up cargo transport to China following a record year, using the world’s longest train line in a modern-day revival of the Silk Road route. More than 40,000 containers were transported between the two countries in 2016, up from 35,000 a year earlier …

  Reuters Most Middle Eastern stock markets closed higher on Thursday after a tumultuous year in which many bourses were hit hard by low oil prices, then recovered in the final few months as the economic outlook improved. Fund managers generally expect a stronger performance in 2017 because of the rebound in oil prices over the past couple of months, …

  Bloomberg The dollar dropped the most in two weeks while oil retreated from its highest close in 17 months as investors prepared to close out a volatile year for financial markets. US stocks rebounded from the biggest slide in two months. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell for the first time in four days after reaching the highest level …