Bloomberg Kate Spade & Co., which is exploring a sale of the handbag maker, plans to kick off a formal auction process next month, with interest from six possible bidders, according to a person familiar with the situation. The New York-based retailer is working with financial advisers on sale preparations, said the person, who asked not to be identified …

  BEIRUT / AFP Iran and European planemaker ATR are due to sign a deal next week for the purchase of 20 short-haul passenger aircraft, an Iranian official said, weeks after Tehran finalised deals with Boeing and Airbus. ATR, co-owned by Airbus and Italy’s Leonardo Finmeccanica , in February reported preliminary orders from Iran for 20 twin-engine turboprop ATR 72-600 …

  Bloomberg The rising number of single-person households in South Korea is helping to fuel a boom in neighborhood convenience stores, one of the few bright spots in the nation’s sluggish economy. The number of convenience stores has jumped by more than half over the past five years, to 32,000 this year, according to the Korea Association of Convenience Store …