Bloomberg Facebook Inc is beginning to merge the chat function of its Instagram and Messenger services, the Verge reported. The changes are coming with an update of the company’s apps on Apple Inc’s devices as well as Android devices, said the Verge, citing reports from users. Once updated, the Instagram app embeds Messenger functionality, and adds more emojis and features …

Bloomberg Hyundai Motor Co will manufacture electric vehicles in Singapore starting in 2022, the Straits Times reported. The Seoul-based automaker will produce 30,000 electric cars a year at the Singapore plant, with as many as 6,000 set to be sold in the city-state, the newspaper said, citing Teo Hock Seng, executive chairman of Hyundai distributor Komoco Motors. The first vehicle …

Bloomberg Western Europe’s electric-vehicle sales pulled ahead of China’s last month after countries including Germany and France boosted government subsidies to stimulate demand that had been decimated by the pandemic. The roughly 500,000 plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles registered in Europe during the first seven months of the year exceeded China’s sales by about 14,000 units, according to a report …

Bloomberg At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, contact tracing was considered the best hope for getting people back to offices and schools safely without a vaccine. The tech industry was optimistic that apps would provide a faster, more effective alternative to the usual painstaking human process of calling and interviewing the networks of infected people to figure out possible …

Bloomberg Oil climbed to near a five-month high after an industry report pointed to a third straight weekly drop in American crude stockpiles. Futures in New York rose past $42 a barrel after losing 0.8% Tuesday. The American Petroleum Institute reported inventories fell by 4.01 million barrels last week. The improving picture in the US overshadowed lingering concerns about the …

Bloomberg Brookfield Asset Management Inc’s infrastructure arm is in talks to acquire Blackstone Group Inc’s minority stake in liquefied natural gas terminal operator Cheniere Energy Partners LP, according to people familiar with the matter. The alternative asset manager is working with a partner to acquire Blackstone’s interest, said the people, who asked to not be identified because the matter isn’t …

Bloomberg Shanghai Aiko Solar Energy Co will invest 20 billion yuan ($2.87 billion) to build photovoltaic cell manufacturing plants in Zhejiang province, according to an agreement between the company and the local government. The facilities will have total annual capacity of 36 gigawatts and construction will last for seven years, the company said in a filing to Shanghai stock exchange. …

Bloomberg Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd shares extended their double-digit rally after a Chinese state-run newspaper tweeted that Hong Kong’s airport may restart transfer flights to mainland China, a move that could inject the beleaguered carrier with some much-needed travelers. Cathay climbed more than 13%, its biggest intraday gain in two months, as the Global Times said on Twitter that the …

Bloomberg British Airways (BA) said it reached a preliminary agreement with labour groups representing some ground-based employees as it seeks to cut costs and ride out a deep slowdown triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. BA has signed outline deals with the Unite and GMB unions that cover engineers and customer-facing staff at its London Heathrow hub, Chief Executive Officer Alex …

Bloomberg Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc warned of a new manufacturing defect after finding cracks in turbines that power Airbus SE’s A350 jet, an unwelcome development after years of engine problems racked up billions in costs. The glitch concerns compressor blades on XWB engines in service on the A350 for four or five years, Rolls-Royce said in a statement. It said the …