DUBLIN / Reuters Ireland’s central bank raised its forecast for economic growth as domestic activity strengthened and international demand improved, but it said the economy was vulnerable to post-Brexit trade restrictions and changes in European Union tax rules. Ireland’s economy has been the best performing in Europe since 2014 and the central bank sees that momentum continuing, with gross domestic ...

KIEV / Reuters Ukraine’s central bank left its main interest rate at 17 percent, as expected, but warned that an improving outlook for inflation could be undermined if the International Monetary Fund delays in disbursing loans. Over the past six months, the bank has kept monetary policy tight to curb stubbornly high inflation linked to higher food and oil prices ...

Bloomberg Italian bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena is slowly turning a corner after last year’s 8 billion euro ($10 billion) bailout, its chief executive said, flagging an increase in both lending and client funding. Italy’s fourth-largest lender, laid low by mismanagement and a large bad loan pile, has long been Rome’s biggest banking headache and is now 68 percent ...

HAMBURG / Reuters Emirates will commit to purchasing options for 16 Airbus A380 jets from a previously announced $16 billion order that handed a lifeline to the slow-selling jet, the airline’s president said. The Middle East airline placed a provisional order for 20 of the double-decker superjumbos in January, which it has since finalised, with an option for 16 more. ...

Bloomberg Temasek Holdings Pte is studying potential investments in Swissport Group and Gategroup Holding AG, both owned by HNA Group Co., as it considers deals with the indebted Chinese conglomerate, people with knowledge of the matter said. Temasek, which inked a partnership with the Chinese group, is exploring buying stakes in a number of HNA affiliates that are complementary to ...

Bloomberg Steinhoff International Holdings NV raised 3.75 billion rand ($313 million) from the sale of shares in the embattled retailer’s African operations to further shore up its balance sheet following an accounting scandal late last year. The move follows similar disposals of stock in South Africa’s KAP Industrial Holdings Ltd. and investment holdings company PSG Group Ltd. The total generated ...

Egypt / Emirates Business As part of its route expansion strategy, Air Arabia Egypt launched a new route linking Sohag in Egypt to Kuwait. The new flights operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, departing from Sohag International Airport (HMB) at 2340 hours and arriving in Kuwait International Airport (KWI) at 0305 hours the following day. The ...

LONDON / Reuters Struggling British flooring retailer Carpetright said it would seek creditor approval for a restructuring plan to close 92 stores and reduce rents at 113 of its sites, resulting in about 300 job losses. Shares in Carpetright, which has in recent months issued a series of profit warnings because of weak UK retail spending and what it calls ...

DUBAI / Emirates Business More than 1 million Tons of Carbon Dioxide will be abated by 2030 and 1.7 TWh of electricity will be saved by the same year in Dubai, according to the new targets revealed by Dubai’s Etihad Energy Services Company, Etihad ESCO, at the 4th annual RetrofitTech Dubai Summit & Awards which began on Wednesday. The event ...

Dubai / Emirates Business Mashreq Bank, the UAE’s leading financial institution, has established a $1 billion multi-currency Certificate of Deposit Programme (CD programme) in Hong Kong. The CD programme, which aims to provide access to new liquidity pools in Asia-Pacific, is offered in multiple currencies. The launch of the programme highlights Mashreq’s growth in Asian markets given the positive momentum ...