Bloomberg London Heathrow airport held onto its status as Europe’s busiest hub last year with a pack of four challengers almost neck-and-neck in the competition for second place, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Moscow Sheremetyevo joined the regional top 10 at the expense of Rome’s Fiumicino terminal, spurred by a surge in soccer fans attending the World Cup finals, and …

Bloomberg Debenhams Plc is in talks with landlords to negotiate rent cuts as the UK department-store chain seeks to ease the burden of its store portfolio, FT reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter. British Land Co and Intu Properties Plc have the largest exposure to the retailer, the newspaper reported, citing data from Colliers International. FT said Debenhams …

Bloomberg Travellers may see longer wait times at US security checkpoints — particularly at New York area airports and major hubs like Chicago — due to fewer TSA agents reporting for work as the government shutdown stretches into its 30th day. Unscheduled absences for TSA employees climbed to 8 percent on Saturday versus 3 percent a year ago, with some …

Bloomberg You walk into a shiny, new two-floor Sears store in a buzzing, bright shopping center in one of the world’s busiest cities, passing designer garb encased in pink LED lighting while the scent of Bulgari and Cartier perfume wafts past. Shoppers browse for XOXO handbags and Levi’s 501 jeans under large chandeliers and golden baroque flourishes. Sears stores here …

ABU DHABI / WAM The World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2019, a key enabler of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, has facilitated deals valued at $10.5 billion to be implemented across 20 countries during its four-day run at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The event saw a consortium led by Masdar and France’s EDF win a tender to build a …

Bloomberg Global oil demand remains on course to be stronger this year than in 2018 as a boost from lower fuel prices counters slowing economic activity, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). “We have seen prices fall very significantly since the peak at the beginning of October, and that is providing some relief to consumers,” Neil Atkinson, head of …

Bloomberg Saudi Arabia is in talks to build an oil refinery in South Africa as part of a pledge to invest as much as $10 billion in Africa’s most developed economy. Joint studies for a refinery and petrochemical complex will be conducted by state oil giant Saudi Aramco and South Africa’s Central Energy Fund, energy ministers from the two countries …

Bloomberg Oil explorers still reeling from the late-2018 price collapse shut down drilling rigs in the biggest US field and elsewhere at the fastest pace in almost three years. The number of working oil rigs plunged by 21 this week to 852, the lowest since late May, according to data released by oilfield-services provider Baker Hughes. A 26 percent surge …

Bloomberg Nigeria’s state-owned oil company said it’s in talks with financiers to raise as much as $4.1 billion and will seek to sign service deals to increase production from three leases. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corp, or NNPC, is in discussions with Lagos-based Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Co to raise $3.15 billion and CMES-OMS Joint Venture Ltd for …

Bloomberg The euro will live for at least another two decades after financial crises since the start forced governments to strengthen its foundations, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg. But as the currency celebrates its 20th birthday this year, most respondents warn against complacency — particularly after populist political campaigns across the region publicly toyed with the idea of exiting …