Bloomberg A Republican proposal to undo Obama-era net neutrality rules would hand responsibility to prevent abuses by internet service providers to an agency that critics say lacks adequate power. US Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai is said to be planning a proposal to strip his agency of strong authority over broadband and let the Federal Trade Commission police ...
Read More »Canada’s labour market shows surging jobs, weak wages
Bloomberg The two-faced nature of Canada’s labor market was on full display as employers continued to hire but resisted raising wages. Canada added 19,400 jobs in March, for an employment gain of 276,400 over the past 12 months, Statistics Canada said from Ottawa. Yet, the pace of annual wage rate increases fell to 1.1 percent, the lowest since the ...
Read More »UK Green Bank sale can proceed after court backs Macquarie
Bloomberg A British court backed the government’s decision to sell its Green Investment Bank Plc to a consortium led by Macquarie Group Ltd., rejecting a request from a rival bidder to review decisions about the sale made by ministers. Sustainable Development Capital LLP, or SDCL, had asked the High Court for a judicial review of the planned sale of ...
Read More »Fox-Sky deal clears EU hurdle ahead of UK report
Bloomberg 21st Century Fox Inc. cleared one hurdle by winning unconditional European Union approval for its 11.7 billion-pound ($14.5 billion) bid for Sky Plc as investor uncertainty over the deal grows amid fresh allegations of harassment at Fox News. The European Commission said it saw no competition problems with Fox’s bid to buy the rest of Sky that it ...
Read More »UK manufacturing, construction point to loss of momentum
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 ...
Read More »Laptop ban raises risk of plane battery fires
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 ...
Read More »Ryanair to embrace connecting flights
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, ...
Read More »My Perfumes opens new showroom in Dubai
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 ...
Read More »Energy firms shed ‘retail’ trade to focus on oil and gas business
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 ...
Read More »Algeria to invite bids to build three solar power plants
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 ...
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