Bloomberg Even as global consumer brands grow more dependent on Asia for sales of everything from fancy handbags to baby formula, European retailers keep retreating from the world’s fastest-growing markets. The UK’s Tesco Plc, which said this month that it’s weighing a sale of its Thailand and Malaysia operations, is just the latest. Earlier this year, Germany’s Metro AG and …

Bloomberg An American Airlines Group Inc. mechanic pleaded guilty to attempted destruction of an aircraft for tampering with a critical flight-monitoring device on a jet in Miami. Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani, 60, entered the plea in federal court in Miami to a single count, the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement. Alani told investigators …

Bloomberg Boeing Co.’s incoming boss David Calhoun faces a daunting task when he takes over as chief executive officer next year: rescuing the 737 Max while mending the company’s fractured relationship with US regulators. But that’s just the first of the hurdles awaiting him. Calhoun, who takes the reins January 13, will be leading a once-proud company whose reputation for …

Bloomberg Saudi Arabia and Kuwait agreed to resume oil production in a shared border region more than four years after halting output. Their agreement allows for “the resumption of oil production from the joint fields,” the Saudi energy ministry said on Twitter. The oil fields in the so-called neutral zone can produce as much as 500,000 barrels a day — …

DUBAI / WAM Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), awarded contracts valued at AED1.130 billion to various companies in 2019, as part of the development of district cooling infrastructure in Dubai. The contracts included engineering consultancy; plant and other constructions, design and operation of cooling plants; expansion of district cooling pipe network; development of new networks to serve the latest …

Bloomberg India’s government should avoid a fiscal stimulus to spur the economy, and focus instead on cutting public debt so that financial resources can be freed up for investment, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said. While the national government has a budget deficit target of 3.3% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the year through March, a better reflection of …

Abu Dhabi / WAM Etihad Airways has announced that it will operate its seasonal routes from Abu Dhabi to Alexandria, Egypt, and Salalah, Oman, between June 25 to September 15, 2020. Due to the success of the routes in 2019, the period of operation has been extended by three weeks and a new fifth weekly service introduced on both routes …

Bloomberg Stocks and bonds were steady across much of the world alongside US equity futures with trading muted on Christmas Eve. Treasuries nudged higher with the dollar. Shares fluctuated in London and Paris, while they edged lower in Madrid. Markets in Germany and other parts of Europe were closed. Equities ended little changed in Tokyo and Sydney on thin volume, …

Bloomberg NTPC Ltd is the world’s most-loved power producer by equity analysts, and yet the shares of India’s largest utility are trading near a 10-month low. What gives? The New Delhi-based company is the top rated stock among the world’s largest utilities, with a recommendation consensus of 4.9 on a Bloomberg scale where 5 is a unanimous buy. Analysts expect …

Bloomberg Residents of Hong Kong are hunting for homes all over the world as tense anti-government protests look set to drag into the new year. Real estate brokers from Australia to Canada have seen a surge in interest over the past few weeks, with the desire to secure a safer future prompting many to look beyond the Asian financial hub. …