London / Bloomberg China’s HNA Group and a consortium led by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board and Borealis Infrastructure are in the lead to buy London City Airport from its US owners, people familiar with the matter said. The central London airport, owned by Global Infrastructure Partners, could fetch more than 2 billion pounds ($2.8 billion), the people said, asking …

Bloomberg Airbus Group SE announced plans to lift output of the aging A330 jet and predicted higher annual deliveries, indicating its confidence weeks after US rival Boeing Co. shocked investors by flagging a drop in output. The European planemaker said it will restore A330 production to seven a month in 2017, suggesting it has come to terms with a demand …

Bloomberg Target’s heavy discounting during the crucial holiday season squeezed fourth-quarter profits. But its trendy assortments and spiffed up presentations induced shoppers to spend more. The company, based in Minneapolis, also offered an upbeat outlook, sending shares more than 3 percent higher. The results show Target has made solid progress in reinvigorating its business and winning back shoppers. It initiated …

Beijing / Bloomberg Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin’s Dalian Wanda Group Co. is planning to invest billions of euros in a retail and leisure development outside of Paris, according to two people familiar with the matter. An announcement may come as soon as on Friday, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the project is confidential. Wang …

AFP As the world’s largest mobile phone fair hosts the “creme de la creme” in Barcelona, activists slam the dark side of a sector accused of ignoring rights abuses in Chinese factories and Congolese mines. “Behind this modern, progressive industry lurk dark themes like labour exploitation or minerals stained with blood that come from conflict zones,” says Alba Trepat, campaigns …

Bloomberg Drowsy German bureaucrats in Hamburg will soon have one less option for a mid-afternoon caffeine jolt, after the city banned single-serve coffee machines such as Nespresso from government buildings. The new regulations have a worthy purpose. They hope to defend the environment, under the assumption that the use and disposal of thousands of tiny coffee capsules or pods leads …

RITIKA SHARMA / EMIRATES BUSINESS Michael Hussey, Bord Bia’s market manager for Middle East Region, opened the brand’s first office in early 2014 to support the Irish food industry in the region. Michael has been with the company since 2001, as senior sector manager with responsibility for the dairy and ingredients sector during which he developed the ‘Origin Green’ marketing …

RITIKA SHARMA/ Emirates Business It started as a home grown grooming brand in 2001 and today it is recognized as one of the largest multi-award winning organically grown companies in the beauty sector. UAE’s largest, award-winning grooming brand, NStyle International is growing in leaps and bounds. With over 30 outlets dotted across the globe, NStyle is looking to open over 50 …

Abu Dhabi / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, who is also the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has stressed that upon the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE entered into a new phase of …

RAS AL KHAIMAH / WAM RAK Properties reported during its board of directors meeting an impressive 23.5 per cent growth in revenues in 2015. A proposal of dividends distribution of 5% cash for the year 2015 was also recommended by the board and will be presented on the company’s annual general meeting due to be held on March 12th 2016. …