Bloomberg The UK will plow 125 million pounds ($160 million) into electric planes and drones to ease congestion in urban areas, Business Secretary Greg Clark announced. The funding — to be matched by the private sector — aims to develop new technologies to cut pollution from the aerospace industry, as well as to ease congestion in London and other urban …

Bloomberg Ingka Holding BV, parent of the world’s largest home-furnishings retailer Ikea, has started construction on a $1.2 billion shopping mall in Shanghai that the company says is its single biggest investment. The mall, Ingka’s fifth in China, will span 430,000 square metres and house more than 300 local and foreign merchants, as well as an Ikea store, Ingka said …

Bloomberg A meeting of Saudi Arabia, Russia and other members of the Opec+ group recommended an oil production cut, but didn’t agree on how big any reduction should be. The group secured Russia’s participation in six months of output curbs starting in January, Oman’s Oil Minister Mohammed Al Rumhy told reporters in Vienna as he left the meeting on Wednesday. …

Bloomberg US President Donald Trump said China is sending “very strong signals” following weekend trade discussions in Argentina, as uncertainty remains over what commitments were made between the two nations. “Not to sound naive or anything, but I believe President Xi meant every word of what he said at our long and hopefully historic meeting,” Trump said on Twitter on …

Bloomberg Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd, the cash-strapped South African power utility, wants the government to take on about 100 billion rand ($7.2 billion) of its debt as part of a rescue plan that will enable it to continue operating. The company’s executives outlined the proposal to move the debt onto the government’s balance sheet to bond investors in London this …

Bloomberg China set three-year targets for allowing more wind and solar power onto the power grid after the rapid addition of panels and windmills forced some electricity distributors to partly block that energy from flowing into their systems. The curtailment rate for wind power should be held to less than 10 percent next year and to about 5 percent by …

Bloomberg Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government is bowing to industry pressure to boost Germany’s offshore wind capacity, already among the biggest in Europe. The government will assess how to boost offshore capacity to 20 gigawatts by 2030 from a planned 15 gigawatts, according to details in an energy law passed by the parliament. The administration in Berlin has steadfastly blocked pressure …

Bloomberg Hong Kong’s Central area has taken the prize for the world’s most expensive premium office rents for a fourth year running, according to global real estate consultant JLL. Occupancy costs — including rent, taxes and service charges — are 60 percent higher than New York’s Midtown and almost 75 percent more costly than London’s West End, JLL’s Premium Office …

Bloomberg European and Asian stocks dropped following the rout on Wall Street, though declines were contained and US equity futures rose after China pledged to start delivering on trade agreements reached with America. The pound erased a gain as the UK government published legal advice relating to its proposed Brexit deal. Global markets were left reeling following the steep sell-off …

Bloomberg India stocks declined after the central bank maintained its hawkish stance on inflation while keeping the key policy rate unchanged. The S&P BSE Sensex closed 0.7 percent lower at 35,884.41 in Mumbai. It fell as much as 1 percent after the decision. The NSE Nifty 50 Index slipped 0.8 percent. Markets across Asia tumbled following the biggest decline on …