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  Wellington / AFP New Zealand economy’s maintained strong growth in the April-June quarter as record-low interest rates fuelled a construction boom, official data released Thursday showed. Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) reported gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 0.9 percent in the second quarter, just below market expectations of 1.1 percent. The data means annual growth for the year to June …

  Yangon / AFP Myanmar cheered a US promise to end sanctions on Thursday, with residents in its commercial capital clamouring for American brands while politicians and business moguls heralded a new era of transparency and trade. US President Barack Obama vowed to scrap the trade limits during Aung San Suu Kyi’s first visit to the White House since her …

  Bloomberg The U.K. government has approved Electricite de France SA’s controversial plan to build two nuclear reactors for 18 billion pounds ($24 billion) in southwest England. Hinkley Point C will proceed under the condition that EDF won’t be able to sell down its controlling stake prior to completion of construction without government approval, the Department for Business, Energy and …

  London / AFP Retail sales in Britain fell 0.2 percent in August from July, official data showed on Thursday, with no real indication that the Brexit vote outcome was hurting spending. “Regarding the EU referendum in late June, our data on retail sales since the vote show little evidence of a departure from recent trends,” the Office for National …

  Paris / AFP Protesters took to the streets across France on Thursday for fresh demonstrations against the Socialist government’s labour reforms, although opposition to the measures appeared to be running out of steam. Demonstrators also marched through the eastern city of Belfort where the government is locked in a battle with train-building giant Alstom over the future of an …

  Washington / AFP The International Monetary Fund resumed its bailout of war-torn Ukraine, approving disbursement of $1 billion from an aid package that had been held up in part on corruption concerns. Kiev had been waiting for the resumption of lending since August of last year in a $17.5 billion program intended to help stabilize the country after the …

  Bloomberg The Italian economy, the euro region’s third-biggest, will expand this year even less than in 2015 after failing to growth in the second quarter, the country’s main employers’ lobby said. Gross domestic product will increase an annual 0.7 percent, compared with the 0.8 percent growth last year, Confindustria said in a report presented in Rome on Thursday. Earlier …

  Stockholm / AFP US and Dutch authorities are seeking $1.4 billion from Telia to settle probes into alleged corrupt practices by the Swedish telecoms operator in the Central Asian state of Uzbekistan, Telia said on Thursday. It said the proposals for the settlement did not go into much detail “but suggests a total settlement amount of approximately USD 1.4 …

  Abu Dhabi / WAM The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has issued an announcement to alert the financial services community and members of the public on certain claims made by a Rothschild Gulf Investment Bank (RGIB). RGIB has claimed on its website that it maintained private offices in the ADGM on Al …

  ABU DHABI / Emirates Business Etihad Airways was named ‘Best International Airline – Offline’ at the 2016 Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) National Travel Industry Awards held recently in Auckland. Voted for by the New Zealand travel industry, the award recognises the airline’s world-class product and service. Etihad Airways’ General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Sarah …