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  FRANKFURT / Reuters Lufthansa is in talks with the owners of Scandinavian carrier SAS and Brussels Airlines to expand the number of destinations it flies to and grow its low-cost Eurowings business, people close to the German airline said. Two sources said that Lufthansa had been in talks with the owners of SAS since the autumn, which could lead ...

  Reuters US retail sales fell in March, dragged down by the auto sector, according to official data that suggested tepid consumer spending. The Commerce Department said retail and food services sales fell 0.3 percent in March and after sales in February were flat. The month-over-month decline was due to a 2.1 percent drop in motor vehicle sales. Stripping out ...

  LONDON / Reuters British discount retailer Poundland expects to return to underlying sales growth this financial year after its last one was hit by disruption from the acquisition of a rival and the addition of more than 200 stores, it said on Thursday. The company, which sells everything from washing detergent to boxes of chocolates to packs of batteries ...

  Paris / Bloomberg Casino Guichard-Perrachon SA, the French grocery retailer targetted by short seller Carson Block, reported higher first-quarter sales in its home market, easing pressure on Chief Executive Officer Jean-Charles Naouri. Revenue in France rose 2.8 percent to 4.55 billion euros ($5.1 billion), Saint-Etienne, France-based Casino said on Thursday in a statement. Analysts predicted 4.52 billion euros. French ...

  HONG KONG / Reuters In a bid to increase its retail footprint, McDonald’s Corp is targeting private equity firms, including Bain Capital, MBK Partners, TPG Capital Management and Chinese state-backed conglomerate China Resources (Holdings) for its planned sale of 2,800 restaurants in North Asia, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The US fast food giant is adopting a ...

  SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE / Reuters Makers of private jets for China’s elite are shifting their focus from luxury to convenience, as a cooling economy and long-running crackdown on corruption prompt customers to demand smaller planes and even consider second-hand deals. Utility is the watchword, say industry insiders, as buyers who once enlisted Feng Shui masters to help them design cabin ...

  Hong Kong / AFP The world’s first museum dedicated to China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown is to close its doors in Hong Kong, with organisers saying they believe they are being targeted for political reasons. It comes at a time when concerns are growing in the semi-autonomous Chinese city that Beijing is tightening its grip. There has been keen interest in ...

  Our Correspondent/ Emirates Business A casual yet refined dining concept serving French-European delicacies from 10 am until late evening, Classic Car Cafe boasts of a relaxing atmosphere and mouth-watering food served in the backdrop of classic cars. The perfect place to socialise — where business colleagues; families and groups of friends catch up over food. With the classic car ...

  Our Correspondent / EMIRATES BUSINESS Mindtripp is an experiential events company with client relations spanning over a decade. Founded by Amrrita S Jhamm, a certified CSR practitioner, Mindtripp has been executing events on industry-level in sectors such as hospitality, tourism, education, finance and business. Jhamm, Chief Mindtripper, said, “At Mindtripp, we are all about creating experiential based events. That’s ...

  DUBAI / WAM Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin RashidAl  Maktoum, received on Wednesday afternoon at Zabeel Palace, Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and her accompanying delegation. HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy ...