World

Ulta Beauty strikes deal to open hundreds of shops at Target stores
Market, Singapore, World

Ulta Beauty strikes deal to open hundreds of shops at Target stores

Target has struck a deal with Ulta Beauty to open shops with makeup, skincare, hair products and more inside of hundreds of its stores. Target and Ulta Beauty announced a deal Tuesday to open makeup and skincare shops inside of hundreds of Target stores across the country. Target CEO Brian Cornell said starting in the second half of next year, shoppers will find a smaller version of an Ulta store in more than 100 of Target's stores and on its website. Each "shop-in-shop" will be about 1,000 square feet with more than 40 beauty brands and a rotating assortment of products from hair care and fragrances to lip gloss. Customers can shop in person or use Target's same-day services, such as curbside pickup or home delivery by Shipt, to get their online beauty purchases. Ulta will train Targe...
Irish PM hopes for outline of Brexit trade deal this week but differences remain
Singapore, World

Irish PM hopes for outline of Brexit trade deal this week but differences remain

BRUSSELS/DUBLIN: Ireland's prime minister said on Monday (Nov 23) he hoped the outline of a Brexit free-trade deal would emerge by the end of this week, despite what the European Union's negotiator called "fundamental divergences" at talks. Britain and the EU are trying to agree terms to keep annual bilateral trade worth nearly a trillion dollars free of tariffs and quotas from 2021, when a standstill transition period ends following Britain's departure from the EU last January. As talks resumed remotely on Monday, EU negotiator Michel Barnier said major gaps remained on divvying up fishing rights and ensuring economic fair play for companies, including on state aid. But Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, whose country is in the EU, said he had got a sense of progress from both ne...
India’s Cabinet Secretary reviews arrangements for COVID vaccine roll-out
Asia, USA, World

India’s Cabinet Secretary reviews arrangements for COVID vaccine roll-out

In a high-level meeting, Cabinet Secretary of India, Rajiv Gauba asked all the states and union territories to prepare and maintain a database of the prioritized group of people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine during the initial stages.Chief Secretary of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, BVR Subrahmanyam, and Director General of J&K Police, Dilbag Singh along with Chief Secretaries of all the states/UTs participated in the meeting.While reviewing the public health response to COVID-19, the Cabinet Secretary said that at present, three companies are frontrunners in developing COVID-19 vaccines in India, which are currently in the third phase of clinical trials and will be shortly available for usage.He asked the States/UTs to “develop respective databases to prioritize various g...
Kelly Evans: The bond market goes “risk-on”
Market, World

Kelly Evans: The bond market goes “risk-on”

Pretty impressive move in the 10-year Treasury note yesterday; the yield jumped above 0.95% and is holding there this morning. That puts us back to nearly the highs we reached on election night. We haven't been above 1% since March. It wasn't just there that we saw some big bond-market moves; investors also piled into high-yield a.k.a. "junk" bonds and drove the yield on the Barclays' index down by the same amount as Treasury yields rose, about 10 basis points. That's a pretty big "risk-on" signal, as analyst Brian Reynolds of Reynolds Strategy pointed out; what's more, it's the second such day in a month of such combined moves (the first being Nov. 9th, on Pfizer's vaccine announcement). That means we've got a "cluster" now of risk-on credit days, which is historically a bullish thing. ...
Jim Cramer: Stock moves mark the end of ‘tyranny of the index funds’
Market, World

Jim Cramer: Stock moves mark the end of ‘tyranny of the index funds’

After a down day for stocks in Wednesday's session, CNBC's Jim Cramer said the market is giving investors a chance to buy individual stocks now that Wall Street has broken away from the "tyranny of the index funds." "There's been a move to own individual stocks led by younger, often novice investors who've been captivated by a world of commission-free trading," the "Mad Money" host said. "It took me a little while to realize it, but the no-commissions — it's been revolutionary." The comments came after stocks traded lower for the second day in a row, with the Dow and S&P 500 pulling back from record levels as state and local governments put new restrictions in place to mitigate the second wave of the coronavirus and researchers continued to post optimistic results from late-stage vaccine...
Indians in Kamala Harris’ ancestral home wake up to her victory
World

Indians in Kamala Harris’ ancestral home wake up to her victory

THULASENDRAPURAM, India: After rooting for Kamala Harris as President-elect Joe Biden's running mate, people in her small ancestral Indian village woke up on Sunday (Nov 8) morning to the news of her making history. Most of them had gone to sleep by the time Biden clinched the winning threshold of 270 Electoral College votes. "Congratulations Kamala Harris. Pride of our village. Vanakkam (Greetings) America," one female resident wrote in colour powder outside her residence. "We all have been waiting for this day. Congratulations," Aulmozhi Sudhakar, a village councillor, said. The village of Thulasendrapuram, population 350, planned to celebrate Harris' success with singing, dancing and firecrackers at a temple later on Sunday. Already in the morning hours, groups gathered at ...
12 new imported COVID-19 cases in Singapore, largest increase in more than a week
Asia, Singapore, World

12 new imported COVID-19 cases in Singapore, largest increase in more than a week

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 12 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday (Nov 22), all of which were imported infections, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). This is the largest increase in infections since Nov 13, when 12 imported cases were reported as well. No locally transmitted cases were reported for the 12th consecutive day. All the imported COVID-19 cases were placed on stay-home notice upon arrival in Singapore, MOH said. They were asymptomatic, and detected from proactive screening and surveillance, the ministry added. Of the 12 cases, three are Singapore permanent residents who returned from India. Two other cases also arrived from India, a dependent's pass holder and a student's pass holder. Five are work permit holders currently employed in Singapore who arrived from the Philippi...
Commentary: After years of demonising China, the US has to start an honest dialogue
Asia, China, World

Commentary: After years of demonising China, the US has to start an honest dialogue

Biden’s presidency offers a chance to change the tone and approach in dealing with China, which will not be cowed by threats, say two observers. HONG KONG: Americans don’t agree on much of anything nowadays. Yet they are largely united in their belief that China represents an existential challenge to their country and the international order it has long led. This combination of internal division and external demonisation has made the Sino-American rivalry increasingly inescapable – and potentially catastrophic. America’s internal divisions have been fueled in recent years by social media, which, by populating users’ feeds with tailored content, creates “echo chambers” that reinforce, rather than challenge, their beliefs and values. When alternative ideas do make it into the echo ch...
US weekly jobless claims fall modestly; labour market recovery slowing
Market, World

US weekly jobless claims fall modestly; labour market recovery slowing

WASHINGTON: The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell only slightly last week, adding to signs that the economic recovery was losing steam as the COVID-19 pandemic intensifies and fiscal stimulus ends. The economy could be plunged into a period of uncertainty following Tuesday's presidential election, potentially undermining business investment and delaying a much-needed second coronavirus relief package from the government. Democrat Joe Biden edged closer to victory on Thursday (Nov 5), while President Donald Trump alleged fraud without providing evidence, filing lawsuits and calling for recounts in a race yet to be decided two days after polls closed. "It looks like a second wave of layoffs is hitting the economy perhaps due to the rising count of vi...
J&K: Snowfall unlocks Kashmir tourism
Asia, World

J&K: Snowfall unlocks Kashmir tourism

After witnessing a slump for more than seven months due to outbreak of Covid-19 in Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, there is a ray of hope for the valley’s ailing tourism sector as the fresh snowfall in higher reaches is attracting tourists once again.Gulmarg in Baramulla district, which recorded almost two feet of snowfall, has come to life as tourists have started thronging this popular ski-resort. On November 15, as many as 574 tourists arrived at the Srinagar International Airport from different cities, mostly Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai to spend their ongoing Diwali vacations here, officials said.As per J&K Tourism department officials, November 15’s tourist arrivals are the “highest single-day visitor arrivals to the Valley registered during the last seven ...