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  Bloomberg UK manufacturing and construction unexpectedly shrank in February, adding to signs that the economy lost momentum in the first quarter. Factory output fell 0.1 percent from January, the Office for National Statistics said. Total industrial production declined 0.7 percent as unseasonably warm weather reduced demand for energy. Construction dropped 1.7 percent, the most in almost a year. While ...

  Bloomberg The US order prohibiting passengers from carrying laptop computers and other electronics into the cabins of some overseas flights is raising concerns about a risk unrelated to terror: the potential for those devices’ lithium-based batteries to catch fire in the baggage hold. The Flight Safety Foundation, a non-profit funded by airlines and other groups to reduce the risk ...

  Bloomberg Ryanair Holdings Plc will offer customers the ability to connect from one flight to another for the first time, taking another step away from its pure focus on no-frills point-to-point travel. The move brings Ryanair a step closer to conventional airline operations after decades focused solely on out-competing rival network carriers with bargain basement fares. The new policy, ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business My Perfumes, a renowned name in the sphere of premium fragrances, announces the opening of its new showroom in Deira Gold Souq. Inherited with a rich legacy of serving the royal families in the region for two decades now, My Perfumes is set to broaden its reach and let the magic of its premium range ...

  Bloomberg After years of building networks of gas stations that sell drinks, snacks and other impulse buys, US energy companies are unloading them to focus on their main business. Sunoco LP became the latest to pull back, and was rewarded with the biggest gain for its shares in almost three years. The Houston-based company agreed to sell about 1,100 ...

  ALGIERS / Reuters Algeria plans to invite bids for construction of three photovoltaic solar power plants with total capacity of about 4,000 megawatts (MW), and several energy and financial firms are already interested, the energy ministry said. Algeria, member of the Organization for the Petroleum Exporting Countries, has been exploring renewable energy as a way to meet growing demand ...

  Bloomberg India’s Iran oil imports jumped to a record high in 2016/17 topping half-a-million barrels per day (bpd) as refiners boosted purchases after lifting of some Western sanctions against Tehran last year. India, Iran’s biggest oil buyer after China, was among a handful of countries that continued to deal with Tehran despite Western sanctions over its nuclear programme. Refiners ...

  Bloomberg Crude capped a second weekly gain after briefly spiking on the first armed strike by President Donald Trump’s administration. Futures settled at the highest level in a month in both New York and London. Russia’s deal with OPEC to cut crude supply hasn’t delivered as much as expected, according to Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. OPEC ministers will ...

  Bloomberg The prospect of a trade war between China and the US elicits frequent warnings of the risk to the global economy. India sees it somewhat differently. Senior officials in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party say India stands to benefit from the tensions. President Xi Jinping will need India’s huge market as President Donald Trump threatens punitive measures against ...

  Bloomberg Toshiba Corp. has narrowed the number of bidders for its semiconductor business from about 10 interested parties to a smaller group that includes Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. and Korea’s SK Hynix Inc., according to people familiar with the matter. The other remaining contenders include private equity firm Silver Lake Management and chipmaker Broadcom, which are collaborating ...