THE S/S 2013 Fashion Weeks were seeing double, with some of the biggest international names sending their models out twinned, two by two.

There were no emergency exits at a Bangladesh factory hit by a deadly blaze which killed scores of workers, it emerged today.

ADRIANA Garcia won’t be buying her family Christmas gifts this year.

UK investors shied away from risk today as the enormity of the task faced by new governments in Italy and Greece sank in.

Stocks gave up early gains to close sharply lower today as investors grappled with concerns about the strength of consumer spending and the overall US economy after downbeat comments from JC Penney and Wells Fargo.

Wall Street soared today, propelling the Standard & Poor's 500 index and Dow Jones industrials to record highs as bright spots among generally sluggish retail sales allowed investors to cast aside concerns about the health of the US economy.

Investors concerned about inflation after a surprise jump in labour costs bid stocks sharply lower on Wall Street today, with unfounded rumours of a terror threat compounding the selling.

Wall Street finished the week with moderate gains today, extending a November rally in light post-Thanksgiving trading amid signs of a strong start to the busy holiday shopping season.

A gunman opened fire inside a busy shopping mall, wounding at least six people, one critically, and taking three others hostage in a music store before he surrendered to a police commando team.

The family accusing Michael Jackson of child molestation and other crimes is trying to pull “the biggest con of their careers,” the pop star’s lead lawyer told jurors today in the second day of closing arguments in the trial.

Michael Jackson’s lawyer had “grave concerns” about the singer’s young accuser and his family and ordered a private investigator to keep them under tight surveillance, he has testified.

Michael Jackson told his lawyer that young accuser had shared his bed but insisted nothing sexual happened, a court heard today.

A 14-year-old boy who said he saw Michael Jackson molest his brother admitted today that he lied under oath in another case when he swore that his mother and father never fought and that his father never hit him.

MICHAEL JACKSON’S defence sought yesterday to undermine the credibility of prosecution testimony by the older sister of the boy who has accused the pop star of child molestation.

Michael Jackson’s defence sought today to undermine the credibility of prosecution testimony by the older sister of the boy who has accused the pop star of child molestation.

A late surge in buying sent US stocks sharply higher today as a strong oil inventory report helped investors look past rising crude prices and mediocre economic data.

Wall Street had a mild rebound after three losing sessions today, with investors sending stocks mostly higher despite a sharp rise in unemployment claims and mixed holiday retail sales.

Disappointing retail sales figures and an unexpected jump in unemployment claims prompted UA investors to take profits today, leaving stocks mixed despite another big drop in oil prices.

Michael Jackson's lawyer told a judge that the defence uncovered material pointing to Jackson's innocence that should be presented to a grand jury investigating child molestation allegations against the pop star.

US investors, increasingly focused on profits rather than war, nudged stocks higher today, ending a two-day losing streak.

Another dose of disappointing economic news sent the Dow industrials down nearly 270 points.

Better-than-expected April retail sales sent stocks sharply higher today, extending Wall Street’s winning streak to two sessions, as investors grew more confident about consumer spending.

Share prices posted slight gains on light volumes in early trade, with a lot of the buying interest concentrated in a few well-known names, with many market players absent ahead of the Christmas holidays, dealers said.

Bargain-hunting investors sent the US stock market higher today.