January, 2017

• 22 January

  Essilor to buy Ray-Ban maker Luxottica for $24 billion

  

    Bloomberg French lensmaker Essilor International SA agreed to buy Luxottica Group SpA, the maker of Ray-Ban sunglasses, for about 22.8 billion euros ($24 billion) in stock, combining the largest manufacturer and retailer in eyewear. Leonardo Del Vecchio, who created Luxottica in 1961 and controls 62 percent of its stock, will be executive chairman and chief executive officer of the ...

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• 22 January

  Fall of the ‘big top’

  

    SARASOTA / AP Goodbye to death-defying feats — daring young men (and women) on the flying trapeze, whip-wielding lion tamers, human cannonballs. Goodbye to the scent of peanuts and popcorn, the thrill of three rings, the jaunty bum-bum-dadadada of circus music. Send out the clowns. The Big Top is coming down — for good. Officials of the company that ...

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• 22 January

  Hitachi says Brexit may hurt UK rail plant

  

    Bloomberg Hitachi Ltd. said Britain’s vote to quit the European Union may become more of a concern when the Japanese conglomerate’s train factory in northern England becomes more reliant on exports after 2019. For the next few years the Newton Aycliffe plant will be busy making the vehicles it was set up to build when Hitachi won Britain’s biggest ...

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• 22 January

  In first remark, Trump mocks worldwide demonstrations

  

    Bloomberg President Donald Trump mocked protesters who gathered for large demonstrations across the U.S. and the world on Saturday to signal discontent with his leadership, questioning whether they voted and criticizing celebrities who participated in the events. “Watched protests yesterday but was under impression that we just had an election! Why didn’t these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly,” ...

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• 22 January

  Suspected US drone strike kills 3 alleged al-Qaida in Yemen

    SANAA / AP Yemeni security and tribal officials say suspected US drone strikes have killed three alleged al-Qaida operatives in the country’s southwestern Bayda province. They say the two Saturday strikes killed Abu Anis al-Abi, an area field commander, and two others. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release the information. US drone strikes ...

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• 22 January

  Turkey’s president eager to hear Trump’s policies on Mideast

    ISTANBUL / AP Turkey’s president says he is interested in hearing US President Donald Trump’s policies on the Middle East. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters before departing on an African tour on Sunday that Turkey wants a Mideast where countries’ territorial integrity is upheld and the region is not “shattered.” Turkey is especially concerned about the possible disintegration of ...

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• 22 January

  Dalai Lama hopes President Trump, Putin will work for peace

    NEW DELHI / AP The Dalai Lama said he hopes that President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will work together for global peace. The exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists said the world needed leaders with compassion. He made the remarks Saturday at a program in New Delhi organized by the women’s chapter of an industry group, according ...

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• 22 January

  As Trump takes office, Israel pushes settlement plan

  

    JERUSALEM / AP The Jerusalem municipality said on Sunday it is pushing forward with 566 new housing units for Jewish settlements in east Jerusalem, swiftly moving into action as the seemingly favourable President Donald Trump takes office. The building plans were put on hold in the final months of President Barack Obama’s administration and were announced shortly following Trump’s inauguration. ...

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• 22 January

  Britain’s May to discuss trade, NATO with Trump

    LONDON / AP British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday she plans to discuss free trade and the importance of the NATO military alliance when she becomes the first foreign leader to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington. The White House’s invitation for May to meet with Trump on Friday was seen in Britain as affirmation that ...

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• 22 January

  In midst of Aleppo wreckage, a Syrian family returns home

  

    ALEPPO / AP The street looks as if it was hit by an earthquake and the bombed-out building in a former rebel-held northeastern neighborhood of Aleppo is deserted — except for the second-floor apartment where Abdul-Hamid Khatib and his family are staying. There is no electricity or running water. The apartment windows are covered with nylon sheets and a hole ...

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