Bloomberg Canadian oil sands producers are finally ready to grow again as Cenovus Energy Inc. and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. announce they are pushing ahead with expansion projects two years into the worst crude slump in decades. Cenovus said that the company will proceed with its 50,000 barrel a day phase G expansion at its Christina Lake oil sands ...

  Bloomberg President-elect Donald Trump’s sit down with technology titans next week will have two marquee attendees: Alphabet Inc.’s Larry Page and Eric Schmidt. Page, chief executive officer of the Google parent company, and Schmidt, the chairman, were planning on going to the meeting, a person familiar with the decision said late Friday. The person asked not to be identified ...

  Bloomberg Coca-Cola Co.’s incoming CEO has his work cut out for him to bring the 130-year-old company into a millennial-dominated era. James Quincey, who takes over as chief executive officer next year, is under pressure to dramatically cut the calories of Coca-Cola’s lineup — a move necessitated by shifting consumer tastes and anti-obesity efforts. And he can’t rely as ...

  MADRID / AP Spain wants to raise 500 million euros ($528 million) from new environmental taxes as part of a package of fiscal measures to meet the European Union’s budget deficit goals. The new environmental taxes are part of the revised budgetary plan Spain has submitted to the European Commission. The plan says the new taxes will target a ...

  Bloomberg The Federal Trade Commission is seeking to further question Volkswagen AG’s US officials about whether evidence including mobile phones was destroyed amid the probe of diesel vehicles rigged to cheat emissions tests. “In the context of the massive scandal at the center of this case, 23 lost or bricked phones is a bright red flag, especially when they ...

  Aleppo / AFP Syria’s army pushed forward in Aleppo on Sunday as thousands fled rebel-held areas but its forces lost ground to the south where the IS group recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra. After a sudden withdrawal by regime forces, IS extremists made a lightning-fast advance across Palmyra, sparking new worries for its remaining ancient treasures. Forces loyal to ...

  Baghdad / AFP US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter held talks in Baghdad on Sunday to discuss the coming stages of the offensive to retake the city of Mosul from the IS group. Carter flew to the Iraqi capital on an announced visit to “survey key locations directly supporting the battle for Mosul”, the Pentagon said in a statement. The United ...

  Cairo / AFP A bomb blast tore through a church near Cairo’s Coptic cathedral during a service on Sunday, killing at least 25 people in the deadliest attack in recent memory on Egypt’s Christian minority. There was no immediate claim of responsiblity for the bombing. Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population. At least 31 people were ...

  Aden / AFP Forty-eight Yemeni soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing claimed by the IS group in the southern port city of Aden, officials said on Sunday in an updated casualty toll. “We have 48 dead and 29 wounded,” all soldiers, Abdel Nasser al-Wali, health department chief for Aden, told AFP, revising an earlier toll of 35 dead. The ...

  Istanbul / AFP Turkey observed a day of mourning on Sunday after twin bombings killed 38 people near an Istanbul football stadium in attacks authorities said were likely the work of Kurdish militants. A car bomb detonated Saturday night outside the home stadium of football giants Besiktas after a Super Lig match against Bursaspor, and less than a minute later ...