Bloomberg US farmland values in 2016 dropped for just the second time in almost three decades after grain and soybean prices extended a slump, eroding grower profit and capping a decade-long boom when land costs jumped 65%. Farmland values in the lower 48 states, including land used for crops and for livestock, declined $10 to $3,010 an acre, the …

  Bloomberg U.K. house-prices fell by the most in five months after Britain’s decision to quit the European Union, although it’s still too early to tell how much Brexit has damped the market, Halifax said. Prices dropped 1 percent in July, the biggest slide since February, reversing a 1.2 percent gain in June, the mortgage lender said in a statement …

  Bloomberg An ambitious project to make central Moscow more pedestrian friendly has drawn mixed reactions from the city’s residents: some love the upgrade, others worry the soul is being ripped out of historic neighbourhoods. Bulldozers and drills are humming away around the centre as more than 50 roads are being torn up, a quarter of the total number chosen …

  RELAXNEWS We may be in the midst of summer, but fashionistas are already thinking about updating their wardrobes for fall and winter. One key upcoming trend to keep in mind is blue in its myriad shades. We’ve got the lowdown. Electric blue, pale blue, turquoise, navy and lavender: the fashion houses are giving all shades of this cool color …

  Relaxnews French fashion house Carven is suspending its menswear line and bidding goodbye to designer Barnabé Hardy. The label is making the move in a bid to focus on its womenswear line, reports WWD. “Barnabé Hardy has been the soul of Carven’s men’s collection since 2015,” Chief Executive Officer Sophie de Rougemont told the site. “It has been an …

  AFP Rami Kashou’s designs are worn by Hollywood stars and royalty but for the past few days he has been back home in the occupied West Bank rather than London, Paris or New York. As on most days, Yasser Arafat Square in central Ramallah was crowded with pedestrians, taxis with screaming horns and fruit sellers lugging their goods on …

  Bloomberg Last week, Unesco designated 21 new World Heritage Sites. They join a group of 1,052 protected places around the world that are awarded status for their “outstanding universal value” from either a cultural or natural standpoint. These include such iconic spots as the Giza pyramids in Egypt and the entire city of Venice. Not all this year’s inductees …

  Bloomberg Treasuries joined a rally in global bonds and the pound slid against its major peers as the Bank of England cut its key rate for the first time in more than seven years. U.S. stocks and the dollar traded in tight ranges as investors awaited Friday’s job report. Sovereign debt from the UK to Germany and American advanced …

  DUBAI / Reuters A recovery in oil prices and global equities helped lift stock markets in the Gulf slightly in early trade on Thursday after a weak performance in the region earlier this week. Dubai’s main index was up 0.4 percent as large and mid-cap stocks outperformed, with Emaar Properties climbing 1.2 percent. In Abu Dhabi the index was …

  Dubai / WAM A delegation from the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) visited the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting in the US as part of a series of mutual visits aimed to enhance cooperation and become acquainted with the best international practices. The delegates included Faisal Ali Rashid, Director of Demand Side …