BLOOMBERG Marks & Spencer (M&S) Group Plc has launched a legal challenge against the UK government’s decision to reject a plan for a new store in Marble Arch, central London where the retailer has had a presence for nearly a century. The clothing and food retailer lost government backing in July for a proposal to demolish its flagship art deco ...

BLOOMBERG Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing Co’s global business head will become chief operating officer, as the retail giant grooms the next generation of leaders who might one day take the reins from founder Tadashi Yanai. Daisuke Tsukagoshi begins his new role from September 1, the Japanese company said in a statement. The appointment is part of strategy to strengthen management ...

BLOOMBERG Cosmetics-maker Elf Beauty Inc has agreed to acquire drugstore skincare brand Naturium for $355 million in cash and stock. The deal is expected to double Oakland, California-based Elf’s share of retail sales in skincare to about 18%, according to a statement. “Elf SKIN is one of the fastest growing skin care brands, and Naturium joining Elf Beauty presents a ...

BLOOMBERG Cosmetics maker Natura &Co Holding SA is considering the sale of its Body Shop unit as it seeks to cut costs, the latest step in a reversal of a major global expansion strategy. Shares in the Sao Paulo-based company were up 2.3%, following its board’s approval to explore strategic alternatives for The Body Shop, including a potential sale. It ...

BLOOMBERG European shares climbed, bolstered by record profits at Switzerland’s UBS Group AG and expectations central banks’ rate-tightening cycle may be nearing an end.UBS Group’s more than 7% surge helped the Stoxx 600 benchmark trim its monthly retreat. The lender posted the biggest-ever quarterly profit for a bank as a result of its emergency takeover of Credit Suisse Group AG. ...

BLOOMBERG August may just have marked the darkest hour before dawn for China’s battered equity markets, with some investors saying that Beijing’s recent efforts to boost confidence will bear fruit in the coming days. The CSI 300 Index, benchmark of onshore Chinese shares, lost 6.2% this month to cap its biggest decline October. Down over 8% each, Hong Kong’s benchmark ...

ABU DHABI / WAM UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan awarded the First Class Medal of Independence to Jiri Slavík on the occasion of the end of his tenure as ambassador of the Czech Republic to the UAE. Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, presented the medal to Ambassador Slavík during ...

ABU DHABI / WAM  Two of the United Arab Emirates’ Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (Cepa) will come into force on September 1, promising to deliver a new era of trade and investment cooperation with two rapidly emerging global economies. The UAE-Türkiye Cepa and the UAE-Indonesia Cepa will now remove or reduce tariffs on a vast array of goods, eliminate unnecessary ...

DUBAI / WAM  Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) on Thursday reported competitive financial performance for the aluminium sector in the first half of 2023, announcing a net profit of AED2.0 billion ($533 million). EGA announced H1 2023 adjusted Ebitda of AED4.2 billion ($1.1 billion). EGA’s aluminium segment adjusted Ebitda margin was 27 percent, leading global industry peers. The company also reported ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The UAE, represented by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), signed an air services agreement in its initials with the Republic of Palau, at the authority’s headquarters in Dubai. The agreement was signed on behalf of the UAE by Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the GCAA, and on behalf of Palau by Gustav Aitaro, Minister ...