Bloomberg In the euro area, the course seems to be set for a pick-up in economic momentum. Unemployment in the 19-nation region remained at the lowest level in more than seven years in November, as Germany reported a second consecutive increase in industrial output and French business confidence improved. The data follow a survey of purchasing managers out last ...

  Bloomberg Volkswagen AG laid out a new design for a revived, battery-powered version of its iconic hippie-era Microbus as the carmaker seeks ways to move beyond its 16-month-old diesel emissions-cheating scandal and will overhaul its US lineup in a renewed comeback push. The latest iteration of the van, a concept dubbed the I.D. Buzz, is part of the VW ...

  Bloomberg Meredith Corp. has contacted Time Inc. to express interest in potential merger, according to people familiar with the matter, rekindling a possible tie-up that died in 2013. Other strategic companies and privately held businesses have also been in touch with Time about a possible deal, one of the people said. No talks have yet been held with interested ...

  Bloomberg CES debuted gadget hits like the VCR, CD player and Xbox over the years, but the popular consumer electronics conference also showcases a lot of technology that fails to match the hype. Some of the top flops from 50 years of the Las Vegas show include Digital Audio Tape players, Apple’s Newton handheld computer and Atari’s Jaguar gaming ...

  NEW YORK / AP Can Amazon’s Echo speaker really be a witness to a murder? Authorities investigating the death of an Arkansas man found floating face-up in a hot tub believe that Amazon might have some evidence, given how Echo listens for commands and questions and communicates with Amazon’s servers to respond. Details are scant. Here’s what’s known: HOW ...

  DETROIT / AP Waymo, Google’s self-driving car division, will start testing its new fleet of minivans on public roads in California and Arizona later this month. The minivans, built in collaboration with Fiat Chrysler, are Chrysler Pacifica hybrids outfitted with Waymo’s own suite of sensors and radar. Waymo and FCA announced their partnership in May. In a speech at ...

  RABAT / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, donated US$10 million in support of Morocco’s Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity. In a statement, the foundation described HH Sheikh Mohamed’s financial support, which equals 100,350,000 Moroccan dirhams, as generous, and said it will ...

  Abu Dhabi/ Emirates Business The UAE Government announced that it has completed the legal system for venture capital funds as one of the first projects approved by the Government Accelerators initiative launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai in line with the goals of the UAE National ...

  Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business IDEX Conference 2017, part of the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX 2017) and Naval Defence Exhibition (NAVDEX 2017), is set to draw the participation of several leading security and defence decision makers and experts from across the world. Themed Disrupting Innovation in Defence and Security, the conference will be held ahead of IDEX ...

  Abu Dhabi / WAM The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf) held an extended meeting on Sunday to discuss special arrangements for offering the prayer for rain on Tuesday across the nation. President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has called for a prayer for rain, or Salaat al Istisqaa, to be performed at all mosques ...