ASHGABAT Turkmenistan, which rights groups view as one of the most repressive countries in the world, celebrated President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov’s 58th birthday on Monday by opening a park in the capital Ashgabat bearing his name. It was the latest tribut... More »
PARIS The suspected Islamist who attempted to blow up a French chemical plant on Friday has admitted killing his manager beforehand, a source close to the investigation said on Sunday, as police linked the suspect to a militant now in Syria. Yassin Salhi, 35, ... More »
NEW YORK Aerialists descend in a giant chandelier and lift a guest back up with them, a showgirl leads an audience member back in time to a 1920s Parisian nightclub and actors single out guests for a mysterious experience yet to come. Immersive theater product... More »
ORLANDO, Fla. Walt Disney Co will ban selfie sticks starting next week at its theme parks around the world, the company said on Friday, joining a growing list of attractions that restrict the camera accessories for safety reasons. Beginning Tuesday, the compan... More »
NEW YORK (This version of the story corrects title of analyst in second paragraph, shows Thornburg has reduced, not eliminated currency in 10th paragraph.) The prospect of Greece defaulting on its debt has long been viewed as the recipe for a global stock mark... More »
CANNES (This version of the story corrects figures on Publicis contract wins, paragraph 13) The reluctance of big companies to spend at a time of lacklustre global growth and fewer major sporting events this year are dampening demand for advertising, said the ... More »
LONDON Harry Potter, the world’s most famous boy wizard, is set to make his debut on the London stage next year in a new play called the Cursed Child which has been created in collaboration with author J.K. Rowling. Rowling said on her Twitter feed that the ne... More »
MEXICO CITY The love story of Mexican painters Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo has played out in books, opera and a Hollywood movie. Mexico City is also a memory lane of their stormy romance, with murals and museums marking their early encounters, shared Comm... More »
FRANKFURT German media group ProSiebenSat.1 has agreed to buy 80 percent of German energy price comparison site Verivox from Oakley Capital for 170 million euros ($190 million). The price tag for Verivox, ProSieben’s largest digital acquisition so far, could r... More »
LONDON Scientists have identified a key gene used by poppies to make morphine, paving the way for better methods of producing the medically important drug, potentially without the need for cultivating poppy fields. The latest finding follows recent success in ... More »
LONDON Italian luxury car maker Maserati is showcasing its hand-crafted Quattroporte S in an unlikely setting: at the Masterpiece London art and antiques fair, which opened on Thursday in a plush tent on the grounds of Chelsea’s Royal Hospital. Featuring among... More »
WASHINGTON It was a creature so strange that experts literally could not make heads nor tails of it. But scientists said on Wednesday a new analysis of fossils of Hallucigenia, so named for its fantastical appearance, has given them for the first time a comple... More »
LONDON A Gustav Klimt portrait of a young woman that had been the subject of an ownership dispute fetched the highest price of 24.8 million pounds ($39.1 million) in an auction at Sotheby’s in London on Wednesday evening. Sales at the auction topped 178.6 mill... More »
LONDON Christie’s kept the international art auction caravan rolling with an impressionist and modern art sale that brought in $113 million on Tuesday. A Claude Monet study of mauve irises swaying against a pale blue sky in his Giverny garden was the star lot ... More »
DOHA A BBC television team was arrested in Qatar and held for two nights in prison while reporting on living conditions for migrant laborers working on the 2022 World Cup, the broadcaster said on Monday. The Gulf state had organized a press tour in early May f... More »
A clothing designer area is pictured at TechShop in the South of Market neighborhood in San Francisco, California April 24, 2014. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith In the shadow of Internet monoliths such as Facebook, Google and Twitter, it’s easy to forget that Silico... More »
A Cisco office is pictured in San Diego, California November 12, 2012. REUTERS/Mike Blake Cisco’s corporate venture-capital arm said it would deploy $150 million to start-up companies over the next two to three years, accelerating its investments into areas su... More »
The logo of Spanish bank Santander is seen outside a building in Madrid October 27, 2011. REUTERS/Andrea Comas Across Spain, the message is hard to miss in office windows showcasing offers: banks want to lend to small companies again. More »
Major technology companies like Google and BlackBerry provide mentoring services to companies within Communitech in Kitchener’s historic Tannery District in Kitchener, Ontario, March 18, 2014. REUTERS/Euan Rocha The troubles at BlackBerry Ltd, which fired more... More »
Major technology companies like Google and BlackBerry provide mentoring services to companies within Communitech in Kitchener’s historic Tannery District in Kitchener, Ontario, March 18, 2014. REUTERS/Euan Rocha The troubles at BlackBerry Ltd, which fired more... More »
