Bloomberg The US labor market turned in a solid performance at the end of 2016, putting job gains above 2 million for a sixth year as paychecks rose by the most during the current expansion. The 156,000 increase in December payrolls followed a 204,000 rise in November that was bigger than previously estimated, a Labor Department report showed. The …

  Bloomberg German factory orders fell in November, partially offsetting an investment-driven surge the previous month. Orders, adjusted for seasonal swings and inflation, dropped 2.5 percent from October, when they jumped a revised 5 percent, data from the Economy Ministry in Berlin showed. That compares with a median estimate of a 2.4 percent decline in a Bloomberg survey. Orders gained …

  Bloomberg Homeowners in San Francisco’s sinking, tilting luxury high-rise are suing the city and the building’s developer over claims they hid engineering flaws for years. Twenty tenants who collectively paid about $75 million for condominiums allege the city and Millennium Partners knew as early as February 2009, before the units were sold, that the structure was unstable, sinking more …

    Bloomberg AT&T Inc. and Time Warner Inc. said they can avoid having the Federal Communications Commission scrutinize their proposed merger, eliminating a significant hurdle in the path of the $85.4 billion deal that’s attracted criticism from President-elect Donald J. Trump. “While subject to change, it is currently anticipated that Time Warner will not need to transfer any of …

  Bloomberg Britain must choose whether to be in or out of the single market when it pulls out of the European Union because piecemeal access isn’t “for sale,” said Jonathan Faull, who retired this month from his post as one of the bloc’s former top civil servants. “I don’t think it is a question of buying your way somehow …

  Bloomberg The US Energy Department says the electricity system “faces imminent danger” from cyber-attacks, which are growing more frequent and sophisticated, but grid operators say they are already on top of the problem. In the department’s landmark Quadrennial Energy Review, it warned that a widespread power outage caused by a cyber-attack could undermine “critical defense infrastructure” as well as …

  Bloomberg Ford Motor Co., fresh from canceling a Mexico factory Donald Trump criticized, expects the incoming president to deliver on promises of tax reform that will benefit US manufacturers. “The environment is probably the best it’s been in quite some time to actually have tax reform,” Mark Fields, Ford’s chief executive officer, said at CES, formerly the Consumer Electronics …

  Bloomberg Euro-area economic confidence jumped to the highest since 2011 at the end of last year after the European Central Bank extended its stimulus and the recovery in the 19-nation region showed further signs of strengthening. An index of executive and consumer sentiment increased to 107.8 in December from a revised 106.6 in November, the European Commission in Brussels …

  Bloomberg Here’s a morning routine for you. After the alarm on your smartphone goes off, it’s time to roll out of your “smart” bed and give your hair a good run through with your app-connected brush. Don’t forget to use your smart toothbrush in front of your smart mirror. After that, your smart pillbox will remind you to take …

  Dubai / Emirates Business This week at CES® 2017 in Las Vegas, LG Electronics (LG) showcased a groundbreaking new lineup of intelligent robots, as part of the company’s innovations in artificial intelligence and developments in the IoT ecosystem. The lineup includes a home robot that doubles as a smart home gateway and intelligent home notification center, enhancing convenience in …