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Bloomberg The smog is so bad in India the government is developing firecrackers that emit less pollution. Scientists at the government-run Council of Scientific and Industrial Research institute have created pyrotechnic prototypes that emit about 30 percent less particulate matter, India’s environment minister Harsh Vardhan said at a briefing in New Delhi. Costs for consumers are estimated to be as ...

Bloomberg Sony Corp. upgraded its earnings outlook for a second straight quarter, thanks to a plethora of hit video-game titles that are boosting the PlayStation business. Operating profit for the current fiscal year through March will be 870 billion yen ($7.72 billion), up from the prior forecast of 670 billion yen, the Tokyo-based company said in a statement on Tuesday. ...

Bloomberg A tug-of-war between Japanese and American traders has been keeping yen watchers busy in October, according to a pattern which has emerged in daily price moves for the currency several times this month. On those days, the yen has shown a tendency to strengthen during US trading hours, as stock market volatility sparks a flurry of haven bets, before ...

Bloomberg Commonly seen as a tech-friendly hub, the UK is now targeting the likes of Alphabet Inc. and Facebook Inc. by introducing a digital services tax, joining the growing chorus against cash-rich tech giants. UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond unveiled the measure in his Autumn Budget in London. Aiming to raise 400 million pounds a year ($512 million) ...

Bloomberg Just months after Uber Technologies Inc. persuaded a London judge to allow it to keep operating in the city, the ride-hailing company is back in court. At stake this time is an issue that could strike at the core of the UK’s burgeoning gig economy: whether Uber’s drivers are really self-employed. Two days of hearings kicks off at the ...

Bloomberg International Business Machines Corp. is trying to avoid the fate of other companies that loaded up on debt to fund acquisitions, saying it will use some of its cash hoard and suspend share buybacks in an effort to prevent downgrades to the cusp of junk. The transaction will take IBM’s debt load close to $80 billion as it pursues ...

Bloomberg Novartis AG has dropped about a fifth of its research projects as the drugmaker narrows its focus on the most cutting-edge medicines. The pharmaceutical giant has reduced its drug programs to 340 from 430 after completing a review of its portfolio, Jay Bradner, president of the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, said in an interview. Among the resea-rch projects ...

DUBAI / WAM Marking a new milestone that adds to the UAE’s achievements and a new phase in the development of the national space sector, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) announced the successful launch of the Emirati satellite KhalifaSat into orbit. KhalifaSat is the first Emirati satellite to be 100 percent developed at the facilities of MBRSC in ...

DUBAI / WAM The UAE has been ranked as one of the world’s top Islamic fintech hubs with the country home to 12 start-ups specialising in this field, a new analysis from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry has revealed. The analysis, based on recent data from IFN Fintech, ranked the UAE fourth globally as an Islamic fintech hub. ...

Bloomberg A Boeing Co. 737 Max jet, operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air, crashed in the Java Sea with 189 people on board, making it the model’s first accident and potentially the worst commercial aviation disaster in three years. Flight JT610, an almost brand new 737 Max 8, took off from the capital Jakarta at 6:20 am local time on Monday ...