Sterling and UK domestic stocks have rallied strongly this month as betting markets sharply increase the chances that Britain's incumbent Conservative Party will secure a parliamentary majority in the country's first Christmas election in nearly a century.

Saudi Aramco set a price range for its blockbuster listing that implies the oil giant is worth between $1.6 trillion (£1.3 trillion) and $1.7 trillion, below the $2 trillion Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman previously targeted.

From taxi drivers to clerics, Saudis clamouring to own part of state oil giant Aramco went online and to local banks on Sunday at the start of a long-delayed share sale for what could be the world's biggest initial public offering.

Saudi Aramco is worth up to $1.7 trillion (£1.3 trillion) at the price range set by the oil giant on Sunday, below the $2 trillion sought by Saudi's crown prince but putting it in the running to become the world's biggest IPO.

Carpetright said it has agreed to be taken private by its largest shareholder, Meditor, in a deal to rescue Britain's biggest floor coverings retailer and pay down debt.

Norway's $1.1 trillion (£859.6 billion) wealth fund can no longer invest in G4S because of the "unacceptable risk" that the security services company contributes to, or is responsible for human rights violations, the central bank said on Thursday.

British listed private equity company 3i posted a half-year return of 10%, helped by good trading performance across its portfolio including infrastructure, it said on Thursday.

Investors in British money manager Neil Woodford's flagship fund could lose more than 1 billion pounds, four times more than had it reopened in December, according to estimates made by his firm before the shock closure of the fund.

European venture capital firm Balderton Capital is launching a $400 million fund to invest in technology start-ups, bringing its total funds under management to $3 billion, it said on Tuesday.

China's Jingye Group said on Monday it has reached a provisional deal to buy British Steel and promised to invest 1.2 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) over the next decade and save thousands of jobs.

The world's first printed Christmas card has gone on show at the Charles Dickens Museum in London, just over a month before the Royal Mail deadline for posting Christmas cards in Britain.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group raised up to $12.9 billion (£10 billion) in a landmark listing in Hong Kong, the largest share sale in the city in nine years and a world record for a cross-border secondary share sale.

James Bond's carmaker of choice Aston Martin took a first step into the lucrative SUV market on Wednesday with an eye on winning female customers, hoping it can dig itself out of a financial black hole.

Hong Kong lawyers and scholars keen to safeguard the territory's vaunted legal independence were alarmed on Tuesday by a statement from a Chinese parliamentary body questioning a Hong Kong court's decision to overturn a ban on face masks imposed to quell months of violent protests.

Anti-government protesters holed up in a Hong Kong university searched for escape routes on Tuesday after more than two days of clashes with police, dramatic breakouts by rope and motorcycle and more than 1,000 arrests in 24 hours.

Royal Dutch Shell's gender pay gap in Britain edged higher in 2019 following the acquisition of a utility company, with women earning on average 18.7% less than men.

Some anti-government protesters trapped inside a Hong Kong university on Wednesday tried to flee through the sewers, where one student said she saw snakes, but fireman prevented further escape bids by blocking a metal manhole into the system.

A former employee of Britain's consulate in Hong Kong said Chinese secret police beat him, deprived him of sleep and shackled him in an attempt to force him to give information about activists leading pro-democracy protests.

Hong Kong's justice secretary said on Wednesday she had no opinion on an accusation of torture made against China by a Hong Kong citizen who worked at the British consulate in the city.

Technology company Prosus on Wednesday criticised rival suitor Takeaway.com's bid for British food delivery service Just Eat , saying it presents "significant risks" for shareholders.

Annual home price rises in Britain won't keep pace with already-low inflation until 2021, a Reuters poll found, and will fall in the capital London this year as uncertainty around the country's departure from the European Union continues to deter buyers.

The number of properties put up for sale in Britain has fallen by the most in any month in more than 10 years as the combination of Brexit and an election weighs on the market, a survey showed on Monday.

Investors in British money manager Neil Woodford's flagship fund could lose more than 1 billion pounds, four times more than had it reopened in December, according to estimates made by his firm before the shock closure of the fund.

A measure of British house prices edged down in October but there were signs that buyers and sellers were sitting on the sidelines at least until next month's election, a survey published on Thursday showed.

Britain's employers cut more jobs from July to September than in any quarter for four years, according to official data, which highlighted how the labour market is slowing as an election nears although the fall was smaller than economists forecast.

Two Bank of England officials unexpectedly voted to lower interest rates on Thursday to ward off an economic slowdown, and others including Governor Mark Carney said they would consider a cut if global and Brexit headwinds do not ease.

Two Bank of England officials unexpectedly voted to lower interest rates due to signs of a deeper economic slowdown, and others said they would consider a cut if global and Brexit headwinds did not lift.

British house prices rose at their slowest annual pace in six-and-a-half years in October when they inched up by 0.9%, mortgage lender Halifax said, the latest sign of how Brexit uncertainty is weighing on the housing market.

Britain's central bank looks set to sit out the global shift towards lower interest rates on Thursday, though investors will watch for any policymaker who might break ranks and vote to give the country's slowing economy more help.

Asset managers must ensure effective liquidity management of their funds, even where investment decisions have been delegated to others, Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said.

The Vatican said on Thursday the search for peace between Israelis and Palestinians had been put at risk after the United States backed Israel's building of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Algeria's army has arrested eight people planning to join Islamist militants in the neighbouring Sahel region, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

Hong Kong lawyers and scholars keen to safeguard the territory's vaunted legal independence were alarmed on Tuesday by a statement from a Chinese parliamentary body questioning a Hong Kong court's decision to overturn a ban on face masks imposed to quell months of violent protests.

Anti-government protesters holed up in a Hong Kong university searched for escape routes on Tuesday after more than two days of clashes with police, dramatic breakouts by rope and motorcycle and more than 1,000 arrests in 24 hours.

Some anti-government protesters trapped inside a Hong Kong university on Wednesday tried to flee through the sewers, where one student said she saw snakes, but fireman prevented further escape bids by blocking a metal manhole into the system.

A former employee of Britain's consulate in Hong Kong said Chinese secret police beat him, deprived him of sleep and shackled him in an attempt to force him to give information about activists leading pro-democracy protests.

Hong Kong's justice secretary said on Wednesday she had no opinion on an accusation of torture made against China by a Hong Kong citizen who worked at the British consulate in the city.

Greece will shut overcrowded refugee camps on its outlying islands and replace them with more restrictive holding centres, in a marked hardening of the stance towards asylum seekers from the country on the frontline of Europe's migration crisis.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Wednesday he would consider a cabinet reshuffle to address growing public discontent over his young government's handling of the country, days after a stinging by-election loss.

Mak's children ran to her when they awoke to find a young man sleeping on an inflatable mattress in the middle of their toy room surrounded by a miniature play kitchen, blocks, trains, cars and drums.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group raised up to $12.9 billion in a landmark listing in Hong Kong, the largest share sale in the city in nine years and a world record for a cross-border secondary share sale.

About $400 million of XRP tokens, the currency for the Ripple payment network, is tied to illegal transactions, according to findings released on Wednesday by London-based Elliptic, a provider of risk management systems for the cryptocurrency industry.

Zalando, Europe's biggest online-only fashion retailer, has rejected accusations that a performance management tool that asks employees to give feedback on each other and ranks them accordingly increases stress and infringes privacy.

Technology company Prosus on Wednesday criticized rival suitor Takeaway.com's bid for British food delivery service Just Eat, saying it presents "significant risks" for shareholders.

Deutsche Telekom will phase out using Huawei technology within the next two years due to ongoing discussions about security concerns, German magazine Wirtschaftswoche reported on Wednesday.

Vayyar Imaging, an Israeli provider of radar imaging sensor technology, said on Wednesday it raised $109 million in a financing round led by Koch Disruptive Technologies, bringing its total raised to-date to $188 million.

Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook will give U.S. President Donald Trump a personal tour of its Texas computer factory on Wednesday, the latest sign of a close relationship between two of America's most powerful men.

China's Pinduoduo Inc reported a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss on Wednesday due to higher operating expenses, sending the e-commerce company's shares down 13% before the opening bell.

Dutch technology company Prosus NV on Wednesday urged shareholders of Britain's Just Eat PLC to accept its unsolicited 4.9 billion pound ($6.3 billion) cash bid for the company by Dec. 10, and spurn an alternative offer as too risky.

Alibaba has priced its shares at HK$176 each for institutional and retail investors in its Hong Kong listing, according to a statement from the company.

British rock band The Who became the first act to receive a paving stone on the Music Walk of Fame in London on Tuesday, in the unveiling of a new cultural attraction that echoes the starry sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard.

Television series "The Crown" might have won millions of fans across the globe with its dramatisation of the life and reign of Britain's Queen Elizabeth but one royal historian has accused it of peddling a subversive republican message.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney will headline Glastonbury Festival, the pinnacle of Britain's pop music calendar, for its 50th anniversary next year, organisers said on Monday.

Oxford University said on Monday a golden ring given by Irish author Oscar Wilde to a close friend will be returned almost two decades after it was stolen from Magdalen College where he studied.

Australia's flagship airline, Qantas, said on Monday it stood ready to offer legal assistance to a member of its flight crew named in a racism accusation by Black Eyed Peas rapper will.i.am on social media.

LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) - "Ford v Ferrari" left its box office competitors in the dust as Disney's historical sports drama sped its way to $31 million in North America.

Japanese actress Erika Sawajiri, famous for her role in 2005 drama "1 Litre of Tears", has been arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs, NHK reported on Saturday citing unnamed sources.

Comic book movie "Joker" is poised to surpass $1 billion (£781.5 million)in global ticket sales on Friday, becoming the first R-rated Hollywood movie ever to overcome the milestone.

Taylor Swift and her former record label traded barbed accusations on Friday about her rights to perform her old songs, winning support from singers like Selena Gomez and Sara Bareilles but silence from many of the big hitters in the music business.

Former pop-star Victoria Beckham knew she'd have to win over hard-to-impress fashion critics when she launched her first clothing line a decade ago, but the one-time Spice Girl said the industry was much harder to crack than she had ever imagined.

American boxer Ryan Martin has been suspended for four years by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) on Wednesday after testing positive for prohibited substances last year.

Factbox on how the Euro 2020 tournament is shaping up following completion of the main qualifying competition on Tuesday.

Wales reached their second straight European Championship finals after a goal in each half by midfielder Aaron Ramsey gave them a 2-0 home win over Hungary in their decisive Group E qualifier on Tuesday.

Tottenham Hotspur have named Jose Mourinho as their new manager on a contract that runs until the end of the 2022-23 season, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur named Jose Mourinho as their new manager on Wednesday, replacing the sacked Mauricio Pochettino.

The Premier League may be the world's biggest sporting soap opera but the plot twist revealed by Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday would win the admiration of even the finest script writers.

Factbox on Jose Mourinho, who was named manager of Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday:

The Hong Kong Open golf tournament has been postponed after violence from anti-government protests escalated this week, the Asian Tour and European Tour said on Wednesday.

Russian 400m runner Artyom Denmukhametov's suspension for working with banned coach Vladimir Kazarin has been lifted by the IAAF global athletics body, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said.

Pakistan will take a huge gamble in the first test against Australia in Brisbane on Thursday by giving 16-year-old schoolboy quick Naseem Shah his debut.

Factbox on the first test between Australia and Pakistan, which begins on Thursday:

Pakistan will take a huge gamble in the first test against Australia in Brisbane on Thursday by giving 16-year-old schoolboy quick Naseem Shah his debut.

Paras Anand freely admits he will probably be the most nervous person at Eden Gardens on Friday when India take the day-night test plunge against Bangladesh.

Factbox on Friday's second test between India and Bangladesh, which will be the first day-night match for both sides in the format:

India have traditionally been reluctant to embrace innovation in cricket but on Friday, after much heel-dragging, they will finally experience a day-night test when they face neighbours Bangladesh in Kolkata.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson says he was pleased to see the back of the controversial boundary countback rule, which gave England victory over his side in the World Cup final earlier this year.

Pakistan's 16-year-old seamer Naseem Shah will make his debut against Australia in Brisbane, the touring side's captain Azhar Ali said on Wednesday on the eve of the first test.

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson's long wait for a test debut continues after he was overlooked on Wednesday for the side to face England in the first game of the two-match series at Mt. Maunganui.

Australia's other batsmen must offer more support to Steve Smith during the two-test series against Pakistan than they did in England earlier this year, captain Tim Paine said in Brisbane on Wednesday on the eve of the first test.

Factbox on the first test between New Zealand and England, which begins on Thursday: WHEN? Nov. 21-25 (1100 a.m. local/2200 GMT) WHERE? Bay Oval, Mt. Maunganui (capacity 10,000) MATCH OFFICIALS Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka), Bruce Oxenford (Australia) Third umpire: Paul Wilson (Australia) Match referee: Javagal Srinath (India) NEW ZEALAND World ranking: 2 Coach: Gary […]

Former schoolteacher Dave Rennie has a track record of guiding rugby teams to championships and glory but he will need to get used to taking instruction when he starts work as Wallabies coach in mid-2020.

* Australia appoint second NZ coach after Robbie Deans (Writes through, adds Rugby Australia quotes)

Factbox on New Zealand's Dave Rennie after he was appointed as the new coach of the Wallabies on Wednesday:

New Zealander Dave Rennie has been appointed Wallabies coach on a three-and-half-year deal that will see him lead Australia at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Rugby Australia said on Wednesday.

NEW ZEALANDER DAVE RENNIE APPOINTED WALLABIES COACH - RUGBY AUSTRALIA

New Wales coach Wayne Pivac has picked New Zealand-born backs Johnny McNicholl and Willis Halaholo in his first squad to face the Barbarians in Cardiff on Nov. 30, the Welsh Rugby Union said on Tuesday.

New Zealand Rugby are compiling their shortlist of head coach candidates to take over from Steve Hansen and will announce his successor in December, chairman Brent Impey said on Tuesday.

Wales prop Tomas Francis needs surgery to repair a shoulder injury he suffered at the Rugby World Cup, Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter has said, ruling him out of the start of Wales' Six nations title defence.

England coach Eddie Jones says there is a concern the Saracens players in his squad may put club before country after their Premiership survival was threatened by a 35-points deduction for breaching salary cap regulations.

Saracens will not appeal against heavy punishments for breaching Premiership's salary cap regulations, the club announced on Monday.

The Hong Kong Open golf tournament has been postponed after violence from anti-government protests escalated this week, the Asian Tour and European Tour said on Wednesday.

The Hong Kong Open golf tournament has been postponed after violence from anti-government protests escalated this week, the Asian Tour and European Tour said on Wednesday.

NEXT WEEK’S HONG KONG GOLF OPEN POSTPONED DUE TO ONGOING SOCIAL UNREST - ASIAN TOUR

Women's world number one Ko Jin-young is still worried about her injured ankle as she prepares for this week's CME Group Tour Championship, where a record first prize will serve as extra motivation.

List of the oldest players to win one of the tournaments that comprise the four modern major championships:

Matching or breaking the record for career major titles might just be a bridge too far for Tiger Woods, said his former mentor Mark O'Meara, who nevertheless hoped Woods will prove him wrong.

Nov 18 (OPTA) - The LPGA Rankings on Nov 11 Rnk Prv Total 1. (1) Jin Young ko (Korea Republic) 527.59 2. (2) Sung Hyun Park (Korea Republic) 360.38 3. (3) Nelly Korda (US) 292.39 4. (4) Nasa Hataoka (Japan) 312.16 5. (7) Minjee Lee (Australia) 338.99 6. (5) Jeong-Eun Lee6 (Korea Republic) 300.18 7. […]

Nov 18 (OPTA) - The EPGA Rankings on Sep 15 Rnk Prv Total 1. (1) Shane Lowry (Ireland Republic) EUR 3,344 2. (2) Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) 2,944 3. (3) Jon Rahm (Spain) 2,658 4. (5) Matt Wallace (England) 2,275 5. (4) Tommy Fleetwood (England) 2,189 6. (6) Matthew Fitzpatrick (England) 1,999 7. (7) Kevin Kis

Nov 18 (OPTA) - The World Rankings on Nov 10 Rnk Prv Total 1. (1) Brooks Koepka (US) 484.82 2. (2) Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) 502.36 3. (3) Dustin Johnson (US) 340.23 4. (4) Justin Thomas (US) 364.91 5. (5) Jon Rahm (Spain) 357.81 6. (6) Patrick Cantlay (US) 302.90 7. (7) Tiger Woods (US) […]

Nov 18 (OPTA) - The PGA Fedex Cup Rankings on Feb 17 Rnk Prv Total 1. (1) Xander Schauffele (US) $3,402,861 2. (2) Matt Kuchar (US) 2,969,933 3. (3) Gary Woodland (US) 2,625,903 4. (4) Marc Leishman (Australia) 2,340,891 5. (5) Justin Thomas (US) 2,135,965 6. (6) Charles Howell III (US) 2,107,349 7. (7) Phil […]