As Italy's economic and cultural capital, Milan offers business travellers an excellent opportunity to combine a work trip with a spot of sightseeing and leisure.
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The centre of the northern Italian city and many of its attractions can easily be navigated on foot.
Wander through the streets and the well-dressed locals stand out. Even the uniforms of the city's police officers have been styled by an Italian designer.
One of the highlights of any trip to Italy is of course the cuisine. The city's array of trattorias for some delicious Italian food, followed by a rich, smooth espresso, is ideal for a business lunch.
Towards the end of the working day, Italian businessmen in their neatly fitted suits gather at the gelaterias in the economic district and discuss work and politics over ice cream.
A lot can be done with just one free day in Milan. A must see attraction is the Duomo. For €10 (Dh49), take the lift up to the top of the roof to admire the cathedral's architecture up close and enjoy views across the city.
Milan's Castello Sforzesco houses a number of museums and art galleries and it is well worth at least wandering around the grounds to admire the huge structure.
Check out an opera at La Scala. Splash out on clothes - or just window shop - in Via Montenapoleone, the city's fashion district, where you can find all the famous Italian designer names in one area.
If you are hoping to get a glimpse of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, which is housed in Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, be sure to book in advance. To preserve the condition of the famous painting, only 25 visitors are allowed in every 15 minutes.
And if you have more time and have had enough of the city, hire a car and escape it all by heading out to the picturesque Lake Como in the northern Italian lakes district.
rbundhun@thenational.ae
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The struggle is on for active managers
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
