Bloomberg French lensmaker Essilor International SA agreed to buy Luxottica Group SpA, the maker of Ray-Ban sunglasses, for about 22.8 billion euros ($24 billion) in stock, combining the largest manufacturer and retailer in eyewear. Leonardo Del Vecchio, who created Luxottica in 1961 and controls 62 percent of its stock, will be executive chairman and chief executive officer of the …

  SARASOTA / AP Goodbye to death-defying feats — daring young men (and women) on the flying trapeze, whip-wielding lion tamers, human cannonballs. Goodbye to the scent of peanuts and popcorn, the thrill of three rings, the jaunty bum-bum-dadadada of circus music. Send out the clowns. The Big Top is coming down — for good. Officials of the company that …

  Bloomberg Hitachi Ltd. said Britain’s vote to quit the European Union may become more of a concern when the Japanese conglomerate’s train factory in northern England becomes more reliant on exports after 2019. For the next few years the Newton Aycliffe plant will be busy making the vehicles it was set up to build when Hitachi won Britain’s biggest …