Economics Brent crude oil rose above $108 per barrel on Thursday, consolidating after seven days of falls as better-than-expected data suggested the world economy was recovering, but analysts said the overall outlook for oil prices was bearish. More from Arabian Business Olympics spending fuelled Britain’s strongest quarterly growth in five years, springboarding the country out of recession in the third quarter, data showed on Thursday It provided some rare relief for a government accused of favouring austerity over growth, and may make another stimulus injection of cash from the central bank less likely. More from Khaleej Times The smoking ban, weak tourism season and the tense situation in Lebanon are prompting some restaurants to either close down or lay off most of their staff to cut growing losses, owners of eateries and hotels said Thursday. More from The Daily Star Bank of Beirut's unaudited net profits in
