CAIRO / Reuters Egypt’s Commercial International Bank (CIB) approved a two-week extension for an offer by Beltone Financial to acquire its subsidiary CI Capital, CI Capital’s Chief Executive Officer Mahmoud Atalla told reporters. “CIB approved Beltone’s request to extend the period of the offer to acquire CI Capital by two weeks, ending on May 12,” Atalla said. In February, ...

  CAIRO / Reuters Egypt’s central bank kept its key interest rates unchanged in its first decision since it raised rates by 150 basis points last month. The bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept the overnight deposit rate at 10.75 percent and the overnight lending rate at 11.75 percent, it said in a statement. Egypt has been struggling to restore economic ...

  Bloomberg ICICI Bank Ltd., India’s second-largest lender by assets, reported the biggest drop in quarterly profit in at least 15 years after setting aside reserves on top of bad-loan provisions to cushion future defaults. Net income fell 76 percent to 7 billion rupees ($105 million), or 1.2 rupees a share, for the three months ended March 31, from 29.2 ...

  Reuters Saudi Arabia’s central bank, which serves as the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, reported a fall of $6 billion in net foreign assets in March as low oil prices took their toll. Net foreign assets held by the central bank dropped by 1.0 percent from the previous month to 2.17 trillion riyals ($579 billion) in March, central bank data ...

  China / Ann The quest for that beauty treatment did have fatal consequences for three Hong Kong women. The medical miscarriages took place over less than three-and-a-half years. Nothing has changed. The city’s beauty industry still is pretty much free to do whatever makes it most profitable. A 46-year-old woman named Chan walked into a DR beauty centre in ...

  Relexnews Following the launch of similar projects in Sweden and China, Volvo is getting ready to start testing autonomous cars on the UK’s roads. When the trial begins in early 2017 it will represent one of the most ambitious tests of its kind on British roads and one that will involve real people with real transport needs. Volvo intends ...

    Berlin / AFP Germany will subsidise electric car purchases to give a jolt to sluggish growth in the sector and help meet national climate goals with zero-emission mobility, the government said Wednesday. Car buyers will receive 4,000 euros ($4,500) when they choose a purely electric vehicle and 3,000 euros for a plug-in hybrid, with the cost shared 50-50 between ...

  New York/AP From fairytale princess gowns to feathery mini-dresses, bold skinny trouser looks and showgirl sequins, Bridal Fashion Week had something for brides of every size, shape and style inclination. White reigned, as did classic silhouettes to please the most traditional bride. For everybody else, there were splashes of color, plenty of fluttery floral applique and sparkle, sparkle, sparkle. ...

  Relaxnews After unveiling its “Sun 2016” collection for the summer season, luxury brand Chloé has lifted the lid on the inspirations and key pieces in store for its autumn wardrobe, with a series of looks inspired by dance and contrasts. Rather than drawing directly on dance, it’s the sporty, athletic side of the art and its physical practice that ...

  DPA There once was a time when dress codes ruled the street, but those fashion rules have relaxed over recent decades. Among the few places where you can still experience an old-style dress code is at a conservative golf club. “There’s no room for a tank top on a European golf course,” says stylist Sylvia Ebner. Very short skirts ...