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Bloomberg Joshua Hoffman has done plenty of experimentation at Zymergen Inc., the robot-powered microbe factory he founded and leads. By building an army of AI-powered robots to genetically engineer more efficient microbes — the biological building blocks used to create all material — Zymergen revamped existing agricultural and industrial products sold by Fortune 500 companies and helped them increase profits. ...

Bloomberg China’s financial regulators appeared to confirm that tax cuts for 2019 are currently being finalised at a meeting of policy officials in Beijing, in a statement aimed at quelling online speculation that the opposite was the case. Online rumours saying Central Economic Work Conference decided not to cut taxes or fees are “contrary to the facts”, according to a ...

Bloomberg The country that brought robots to car factories looks set to stay resolutely old school in agriculture as it seeks to attract more foreign workers to replenish an aging workforce. This month’s vote by Japan’s parliament to open the door more widely to overseas labourers confirms that despite government support and millions of dollars of investment in high-tech agriculture ...

Bloomberg The UK published its long-awaited immigration plan for life outside the European Union, to end freedom of movement from the bloc and prioritise skilled workers regardless of nationality. Home Secretary Sajid Javid said the aim was to bring net migration down to “sustainable levels.” Reducing immigration has been a major issue for British voters and was a key motivation ...

Bloomberg The BBC is in talks with Irish and Dutch authorities to obtain licenses allowing it to continue broadcasting across the European Union in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to two people familiar with the matter. The UK licenses that the taxpayer-funded British Broadcasting Corp uses to beam hit shows including nature documentary “Blue Planet 2,’’ “Top Gear’’ ...

Bloomberg Global trade developments may dictate how lively Canadian corporate bond sales are next year. Trade tensions, which increased volatility and caused sales in the Canadian corporate securities market to collapse in the fourth quarter, are poised to continue. Issuers pulled back from the market in the fourth quarter and in 2019 volatility may put investors in the driver’s seat ...

Bloomberg BMW AG dodged a takeover attempt by Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler AG six decades ago, and ever since the two luxury-car icons have been bitter rivals — until recently. Reflecting the historic challenges gripping the auto industry, BMW and Daimler are reaching across the aisle to team up in what’s become an emerging trend in the sector. The latest rapprochement ...

Bloomberg Gibraltar was ordered by European Union regulators to reclaim some 100 million euros ($114 million) in tax breaks that aimed to lure multinational firms to the British territory. The European Commission said Gibraltar’s corporate tax exemption rules for interest and royalties unfairly favored some multinational firms. It also judged illegal five tax rulings involving some income from Dutch partnerships. ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Digital economy can contribute more than $3 trillion to Arab GDP growth, according to key recommendations and insights from the First Arab Digital Economy Conference, which concluded in the UAE capital on Wednesday. The importance of adopting the vision of the Arab digital economy for the growth opportunities of the Arab countries’ GDP is in direct ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The Abu Dhabi government and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) have awarded Austria’s OMV a 5 percent stake in the Ghasha ultra-sour gas concession that comprises the Hail, Ghasha, Dalma, Nasr, Sarb and Mubarraz sour gas fields. OMV, which joins Italy’s Eni and Germany’s Wintershall as Adnoc’s partners in the concession, will contribute 5 ...