Three African economic blocs will merge into a new 27-nation free-trade zone under an agreement to be signed in Cairo next month, uniting markets worth 58 percent of the continent's economic activity, Egypt's industry and trade minister said.
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Alibaba to launch international version of Taobao marketplace
Jack Ma, the founder of China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA.N), said on Thursday the firm will set up an international version of its e-commerce marketplace Taobao to serve shoppers worldwide in multiple languages, including English and Chinese.
Canada's Kik raises $38 million, buys video messaging app Relay
Canadian mobile instant messaging company Kik Interactive Inc said on Wednesday it had raised C$38.3 million and acquired video messaging company Relay as it aims to turn its youth-focused application into a broader platform for commerce.
Delta to buy 50 wide-bodied Airbus jets:
European planemaker Airbus (AIR.PA) has won a crucial order worth roughly $14 billion at list prices from Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) for 50 long-haul, wide-bodied jets, three people familiar with the matter said.
E.ON, Macquarie in exclusive talks over Spanish ops
Germany's top utility E.ON SE (EONGn.DE) has entered exclusive talks to sell its Spanish activities to Australian infrastructure investor Macquarie Group Ltd (MQG.AX), four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.
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Japan needs to open up its beer market to European exports if Tokyo and Brussels are to agree one of the world's biggest free trade deals next year, according to an EU document prepared for the next round of talks in December.
Japanese trading house Itochu Corp, is seeking to sell PrimeSource Building Products Inc, the largest distributor of screws and nails in the United States, for more than $1 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
China Railway Construction Corp (601186.SS) (1186.HK) has signed a deal worth nearly $12 billion with Nigeria to build a railway along the West African nation's coast, Chinese state news agency Xinhua said on Thursday.
BMW's (BMWG.DE) China head expects profit margins to narrow as the German premium automaker steps up localization to maintain double-digit growth amid slowing demand and tougher competition in the world's biggest auto market.
In a front overlap crash safety tests of four minivans sold in the United States, only the latest model of the Toyota Motor Corp Sienna scored well, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said on Thursday.
Yahoo Inc struck a deal with Firefox maker Mozilla Corp to replace Google Inc as the default search engine on the Firefox Web browser in the United States, a move that Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer said will help boost its flagging search market share.
Credit rating agency Standard and Poor's said on Wednesday that China's over-priced and over-supplied property market and capital-starved Russian banks were likely to face further downgrades in the coming years.
The top U.S. housing finance regulator said on Wednesday his agency would unveil a new framework in early 2015 for how government-controlled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will set mortgage guarantee fees.
JetBlue Airways announced Wednesday that it will charge certain customers for their first checked bag, yielding to pressure from analysts who criticized the airline for not adding fees in step with other carriers.
