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Bloomberg Blackstone Group LP may cash out from the Maldives, the tropical island chain known for its white-sand beaches and turquoise seascapes. The buyout firm is exploring options for seaplane operator Trans Maldivian Airways Pvt, including a possible sale, after receiving takeover interest in the company, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Blackstone is working with a financial ...

Bloomberg US airline investors, already absorbing the worst monthly stock performance in a year, are bracing for more disappointment. A Standard & Poor’s index of the five biggest US airlines plunged 7.5 percent in August, wiping out about $10 billion in market value. Shares fell as a price war that started between United Continental Holdings Inc. and heavy discounters spread ...

Bloomberg India’s top oil refiner is exploring the use of natural gas and electricity to power vehicles as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government envisions multiple paths towards reducing the country’s dependence on petroleum-based fuels. Indian Oil Corp., which supplies about half the oil products to the world’s fastest-growing consumer, is aiming to sell natural gas for vehicles through its existing ...

LONDON / Reuters OPEC members’ compliance with the agreement to reduce output has improved in recent months, Iran’s oil minister said, noting that unofficial talks were underway among the oil producing countries to extend the cuts next year. Under the agreement OPEC is curbing its collective oil production by about 1.2 million bpd, while Russia and some other non-OPEC producers ...

Bloomberg Saudi Arabia raised oil pricing for October sales to Asia, increasing its lighter grades for a second consecutive month, in an indication the world’s largest crude exporter sees strengthening demand in its biggest market. State-owned Saudi Arabian Oil Co., known as Saudi Aramco, increased its official pricing for Arab Light crude to Asia by 55 cents to 30 cents ...

Bloomberg The biggest independent refiner in US says operator of the nation’s largest gasoline pipeline is blocking its efforts to supply more fuel to East Coast in the aftermath of Harvey. Two of Valero Energy Corp.’s Gulf Coast refineries kept operating throu-ghout the storm, churning out gasoline. After US government waived fuel specifications, allowing refiners to ship winter-grade gasoline two ...

LONDON / Reuters Iraq’s Kurdistan is poised for a major increase in gas output following the settlement of a court case with developers who are now looking to unlock the full potential of the region’s large resources, investor Dana Gas told Reuters. The semi-autonomous region settled a case with the Pearl Consortium last week by paying $1 billion to its ...

CAIRO / Reuters Egypt’s tourism revenues jumped by 170 percent in the first seven months of 2017, reaching $3.5 billion, a government official told Reuters, in welcome news for an economy heavily reliant on the sector for foreign currency and jobs. The number of tourists visiting Egypt rose by 54 percent in the same seven-month period on an annual basis ...

Bloomberg Japan Post Holdings Co. will announce plans for a share sale by the government as early as Sept. 11, almost two years after the postal and financial-services giant was listed, people with knowledge of the matter said. The Ministry of Finance plans to offer about 1 trillion yen to 1.4 trillion yen ($9.1 billion to $12.8 billion) of Japan ...

Bloomberg With job creation seen as his government’s biggest failing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi replaced both ministers in charge of employment. Their successors face an uphill task. India will have the world’s biggest labor force by 2027 and the millennial generation is crucial to anchor one of the fastest paces of economic growth. However fresh employment opportunities are scarce and ...