BEIRUT / AP Talks to reunify ethnically-split Cyprus suffered another blow after the leader of breakaway Turkish Cypriots backed out of a scheduled meeting aiming to push negotiations forward, officials said on Wednesday. Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades expressed regret that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci told United Nations officials that he won’t attend Thursday’s meeting. “I’m ready to continue …

  KUALA LUMPUR / AP The two women suspected of fatally poisoning a scion of North Korea’s ruling family were trained to coat their hands with toxic chemicals then wipe them on his face, police in Malaysia said Wednesday, announcing they were seeking a North Korean diplomat in connection with the attack. But the North Korean embassy ridiculed the police …

  Bloomberg French women are starting to picture their next president as a divorced mother of three. The anti-euro, anti-immigrant candidate Marine Le Pen has been playing up her gender as she seeks to convert a likely first-round victory into an overall majority in the run-off on May 7 — and it’s paying off. The 48-year-old National Front leader has …

  Bloomberg Saudi Arabian Oil Co., gearing up for what may be the world’s biggest initial public offering, is considering discounted shares for local investors, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The oil company has discussed ways to structure the offering in different tiers, allowing Saudi buyers to receive the stock at a lower price than international investors, …

  Bloomberg First Solar Inc. reported its biggest-ever loss after overhauling its manufacturing strategy and firing more than a quarter of its workforce. The bulk of its pain may be in the past. The largest US solar manufacturer posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $719.9 million, largely due to a $729 million restructuring charge, Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar said in …

  Bloomberg Oil fell from the highest price in more than a week amid specul- ation about the effectiveness of OPEC’s supply curbs and forecasts for another expansion in US crude stockpiles. Futures dropped 0.6 percent in London, ending three days of gains. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is confident members will continue to cut production and reduce global …

  Bloomberg Chesapeake Energy Corp., the No. 2 US natural gas producer, thinks it has a one-word answer to its debt issues: Oil. Chief Executive Officer Doug Lawler is focusing 60 percent of the Oklahoma City-based driller’s 2017 budget on crude oil projects, mostly in South Texas, Oklahoma and Wyoming shale fields. The company plans about 320 new crude wells …

  Bloomberg China may be about to embark on its most ambitious — and perilous — campaign to convince investors that they shouldn’t depend on a bailout when markets go south. In a rare show of cooperation, the nation’s main financial regulators are drafting new rules for asset-management products that aim to make clear the investments don’t have government guarantees, …

  Bloomberg Singapore’s property demand remains “very resilient,” supported by factors including low interest rates and a stable economy, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said. “Our economy is still growing, so I think demand is still healthy and our assessment is these factors will remain for some time,” Wong, who’s also the second finance minister, said in a Bloomberg Television …

  Bloomberg Reliance Industries Ltd. regained its position as India’s second most-valuable company after its shares posted their biggest advance in eight years. The stock surged 11 percent at the close, valuing the company at 3.92 trillion rupees ($59 billion), as investors cheered Chairman Mukesh Ambani’s decision to end free data plans at his phone venture from April. HDFC Bank …