Bloomberg Estée Lauder Cos. is close to a deal to buy US luxury brand Tom Ford, founded by the former longtime creative director for Gucci, the Financial Times reported. The transaction would value Tom Ford, a fashion empire that spans across menswear, eyewear, beauty and fragrance, at $2.8 billion, the report said. Ford, a 61-year-old Austin, Texas, native, started ...

  Bloomberg Joules Group Plc is set to file for insolvency after the British retailer failed to secure bridge financing or raise equity, putting around 1,600 jobs at risk. The clothing chain, known for its colourful coats and Wellington boots, said it will appoint Interpath Advisory as administrators to protect the interest of creditors. Shares have been suspended. Joules warned ...

Bloomberg Chinese President Xi Jinping said the Asia-Pacific was “no one’s backyard” in written remarks to an economic summit in Thailand, in which he pitched his vision for greater regional cooperation on development and security. Xi’s speech was released to a gathering of business executives shortly after he arrived for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Bangkok. The gathering came ...