Bloomberg The economies of the European Union’s eastern members probably got off to a quick start in 2017 as resumed flows of the bloc’s aid and reviving demand from the euro area, combined with household spending, gave them the edge over the rest of the EU. Preliminary gross domestic product data will show first-quarter expansion accelerated from the previous three …

Bloomberg Waymo won a ruling that may strengthen its trade-secrets suit against Uber Technologies Inc. even as the Alphabet Inc. unit fell short of its goal to bring its rival’s driverless-car program to a standstill. US District Judge William Alsup approved of Uber’s move last month to demote the engineer leading its self-driving unit to keep him away from related …

Bloomberg European car sales fell the most in four years in April as the shift of Easter from March reduced buyers’ time for shopping, while registrations in the UK were further sapped by tax changes. With at least two fewer selling days compared with a year ago, industrywide registrations dropped 6.8 percent to 1.23 million vehicles last month, according to …

The smoother the road, the faster people are likely to drive. The faster they drive, the more excited they are about getting to their destination in good, if not record time; but, also, the greater the risk of an accident that could also harm other drivers, including those driving slower and more carefully. That is an appropriate analogy for the …

These days, nobody wants to be a British supermarket. Tesco Plc, the UK’s biggest grocer, is buying wholesaler Booker Plc, while J Sainsbury Plc last year snapped up catalog retailer Argos. As for Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, it is building its own wholesale business using the manufacturing facilities that already make about half of its fresh foods. The only one …

Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping directed his government to build a new city for the “millennium to come.” It would rise on rural land about 60 miles south of Beijing, guided by the principles of “ecological protection and green development.” And it would become a model for a new kind of urban expansion. It was an attractive vision. Over …

DUBAI / Reuters Shares of Egypt’s EFG Hermes and Talaat Mostafa diverged sharply on Tuesday on news that MSCI will swap the shares in its main Egyptian index, while Gulf equity markets were firm with the Brent oil price at $52 a barrel. Overnight, MSCI said it would include investment bank EFG Hermes in its MSCI Egypt Index but remove …

Bloomberg The dollar weakened for a fifth day as traders digested disappointing US housing data against a backdrop of a fresh controversy engulfing President Donald Trump. US stock futures advanced amid earnings. The greenback fell against most of its major peers after a report the president shared terrorism intelligence with Russian officials, an action he has since defended. An unexpected …

Bloomberg EasyJet Plc upgraded an order for 30 Airbus SE narrow-body aircraft to the biggest A321 variant in a bet that fare declines are set to ease after pushing it to record winter losses. The switch marks EasyJet’s first deal for the new plane, which has 49 more seats than the A320 model, previously the largest in its fleet. Deliveries …

Dubai / Emirates Business Nestlé Middle East’s 18th factory in the region has been inaugurated in Dubai South by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman Dubai Airports, and Chairman & Chief Executive of Emirates Airlines & Group; and in the presence of Marco Settembri, Executive Vice President Nestlé SA and …