GOVERNMENT
Another Middlesex court facility decamps from Cambridge
For the second time, the state has moved a court facility from Cambridge to Woburn. And for the second time, the operations ended up in a Cummings Properties building. This week, the new Middlesex Probate and Family Court South opened in 50,000 square feet at 10 Commerce Way. About 65 court employees will be based at the new facility, and about two-thirds of that staff is currently working on site. The other court operation to move up Interstate 93 to Woburn was the Middlesex Superior Court, which moved from Cambridge to the TradeCenter 128 campus in 2008. Earlier this year, state officials split the Middlesex probate court into a north and south region; half of the operations moved to Lowell, where the north region is based. — JON CHESTO
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AUTOMOTIVE
Older Cadillac SUVs recalled over rear suspension problem
The government’s road safety agency is investigating complaints that the rear suspensions on some older Cadillac SUVs can fail, causing drivers to lose control and possibly crash. The probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers about 344,000 Cadillac SRX SUVs from the 2010 through 2015 model years. The agency says it has nine complaints about the problem from owners, including two that caused crashes. Three people were hurt. About 290,000 Cadillac SRX and Saab 9-4X SUVs were recalled in 2014 for the same problem, but some of the owners who complained to the agency said they were not included in the recall. Saabs were made by General Motors, as are Cadillacs. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
OIL
OPEC cuts production forecast in coming year
OPEC once again cut estimates for the amount of crude it will need to provide in the coming year as the return of measures to contain the global pandemic hits fuel use. The revision illustrates why the group’s de facto leader Saudi Arabia has said that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies may adjust plans to restore supply when they meet later this month. The virus’s effects will “linger” next year even with the announcement of a vaccine breakthrough, the group said. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
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AVIATION
Airbus pitches smallest jet in changing travel market
Airbus is seeking to spur demand for its smallest jetliner by pitching the A220 model as a tool for cutting costs and trimming capacity in the post-coronavirus travel market. The European company, which took control of the former Bombardier Inc. jet in 2018, is also promoting its ability to fulfill multiple roles spanning short hops between cities to longer trips on routes with limited demand, Antonio Da Costa, Airbus’s marketing chief for single-aisle planes, said in an interview. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
BEVERAGES
Guinness recalling non-alcoholic stout over contamination worries
Irish brewer Guinness said Wednesday that it is recalling cans of its recently launched non-alcoholic stout in Britain over contamination concerns. The recall, which the brewer described as ''precautionary'' and related to a “microbiological contamination,” impacts the British market as the product was not yet on sale in Ireland. Guinness 0.0, which was created at the company’s St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin. It was launched last month amid much fanfare after a four-year development process. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
INTERNATIONAL
Brexit talks to continue beyond this weekend
Trade talks between the UK and European Union are set to be extended beyond this weekend’s informal deadline and continue in Brussels next week, according to two people familiar with the matter. Negotiators have been working round the clock in London since Monday, with both sides pinpointing the end of this week as the last moment they could strike a deal while still allowing enough time for parliamentary ratification before the UK leaves the bloc’s single market on Dec. 31. While the talks haven’t reached a conclusion, officials think there’s enough progress to warrant carrying on. They will probably resume in Brussels, the people said, speaking on condition on anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
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FAST FOOD
Chipotle opening digital-only restaurant
Chipotle is opening its first digital-only restaurant in the United States this weekend as it leans into the pick-up and delivery model customers increasingly want. The concept, located in Highland Falls, N.Y., requires customers to order in advance online or through a third-party delivery company, it said. Orders can be picked up from a lobby that it says will have the “sounds, smells and kitchen views” of a traditional restaurant. The model will allow Chipotle to enter more urban areas where a full sit-down restaurant doesn’t make sense, it said. Even before the announcement, the company had been moving in that direction, adding a second food-preparation line to some of its restaurants that only served a digital and delivery customer. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
GENDER EQUITY
Aerospace still very much a man’s world
Aerospace has a way to go in becoming a welcoming environment for women, according to a new report. A survey by Korn Ferry of more than 1,500 workers in the sector found that one-third of women feel they would need to change industries to advance their careers. Just 6 percent thought the representation of women had increased significantly in the past five years, according to the survey, commissioned by the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter, a two-year-old initiative to improve gender balance. The aerospace sector has long been male-dominated, with the military traditionally feeding pilots into airlines and just 18 percent of aerospace engineers female. As the pandemic requires many companies to focus on survival, there are fears diversity could slip down the agenda. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
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GEMSTONES
One of the largest diamonds ever found in Botswana
One of the biggest diamonds ever found has been unearthed in Botswana by a small Canadian miner that keeps discovering huge stones. Lucara Diamond Corp. said it has found a 998-carat high white diamond, putting it among the five largest stones ever discovered. Still, Lucara said the diamond was clivage, meaning it will need to be split before further processing into polished gems. In 2015, the company found the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona, which sold for $53 million, while the mine has also yielded a 813-carat Constellation stone that fetched a record $63 million. Lucara also discovered a 1,758-carat diamond last year, though it was a near gem of variable quality, meaning it won’t yield incredibly valuable polished diamonds on a par with earlier finds. The biggest diamond ever discovered is the 3,106-carat Cullinan, found near Pretoria in South Africa in 1905. It was cut into several polished gems, the two largest of which — the Great Star of Africa and the Lesser Star of Africa — are set in the Crown Jewels of Britain. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
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OIL
Occidental Petroleum looks toward net zero emissions by 2040
Occidental Petroleum became the first major US oil producer to aim for net zero emissions from everything it extracts and sells, accelerating an industry trend that’s become commonplace in Europe. The Houston-based company announced a target to reach net zero emissions from its own operations by 2040 and an ambition to do the same from customers' use of its products by 2050, chief executive Vicki Hollub said during a conference call with analysts on Tuesday. The plan relies heavily on capturing carbon dioxide and burying it, a technology that’s so far been prohibitively expensive. — BLOOMBERG NEWS