AFP Ralph Lauren transformed Madison Avenue into a runway to celebrate his “see-now, buy-now” launch in a stunning display of American elegance before throwing open his candle-lit store for a champagne reception. The 76-year-old designer, who heads up a multi-billion-dollar empire and whose signature look defines modern East Coast style, is leading a fashion revolution with the likes of ...

  AFP When greyhound owner Zac Kessanis comes to Sydney’s Wentworth Park to watch his much-loved dog race, he’s not so much interested in the prizemoney as in simply seeing her run. “For 30 seconds we’re on top of the world, we’re so proud, no matter what,” he says of watching the black greyhound named Ella Has Class sprint the ...

  AFP For years, Guinea’s main dance company brought glory to the west African state, touring the globe for sell-out performances. Today, ageing and forgotten, it struggles to train a new generation of dancers facing a very uncertain future. “Les Ballets Africains was the biggest cultural institution not just in Guinea but, as their name suggests, in the whole of ...

Vatican City / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Thursday discussed with His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, ways to strengthen bilateral relations and develop them in the service of humanitarian causes that promote peace and coexistence between different ...

  AP The Bank of England kept its main interest rate unchanged at a record low of 0.25 percent on Thursday after a run of better-than-anticipated news in the wake of the country’s decision in June to leave the European Union. The unanimous decision was widely anticipated after last month’s series of post-Brexit measures by the bank’s policymaking body that ...

  Bloomberg A decision to cap Kenyan interest rates may favor the biggest banks as small lenders will struggle to raise cheap deposits to fund lending, according to Equity Group Holdings Ltd. Chief Executive Officer James Mwangi. At least 30 of Kenya’s 42 lenders may have difficulty paying the minimum for deposits as demanded by a new law on interest ...

  Bloomberg HSBC Holdings Plc offered 181.8 billion yen ($1.8 billion) in Japanese currency bonds on Thursday in the biggest single sale by an issuer in the Samurai market since 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The London-based bank’s sale included 64.4 billion yen in 10-year notes priced at 1.207 percent, according to a statement from SMBC Nikko Securities ...

  Bloomberg Some analysts expect the Bank of Japan to fire another blast of monetary stimulus at the end of its two-day policy meeting on September 21. Others see a central bank with little if any ammunition left — or one turned gun-shy. For some economists, the BOJ’s decision to undertake a comprehensive review of its easing program to be ...

  Bloomberg Wells Fargo & Co. has started doing damage control on Capitol Hill. Tim Sloan, the bank’s president and chief operating officer, has spent most of the week reaching out and meeting with members of Congress and their staffs in Washington, as the lender confronts blowback over allegations it opened more than 2 million accounts without customers’ approval, said ...

  Bloomberg Samsung Electronics Co., under pressure from consumers for longer-lasting batteries that charge faster, pushed the limits of lithium-ion technology. The effort backfired when some of its new Note 7 handsets caught fire and exploded. Building a better battery has long bedeviled the tech industry. Smartphones are constantly improving, with sharper displays, improved software and cameras rivaling those used ...