Bloomberg Google landed a submarine cable in Togo, the first nation in West Africa to introduce commercial fifth-generation mobile services. The Equiano subsea internet cable, part of Google’s $1 billion program to build digital capacity on the continent, was connected to the nation of 8 million people. The conduit will land in Nigeria, Namibia and South Africa later this …

  Bloomberg The debut of Apple Inc’s latest iPhone brings a change to the way its US customers can purchase the device, a move toward cutting wireless carriers out of the process and giving the tech giant more control. Traditionally, when a user buys an iPhone at an Apple retail store or the company’s online store, the customer provides their …

  Bloomberg Car sales in the European Union skidded to the lowest on record for February, as manufacturers brace for more disruption to output from supply-chain issues exacerbated by war in Ukraine. New-vehicle registrations in the EU fall 6.7% to less than 720,000 for the month, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said. When including the UK and free-trade association countries, …

  Bloomberg Oil pared gains after the biggest daily surge in 16 months pushed prices back above $100 a barrel. Futures in New York were trading near $104 a barrel after jumping 8.4%. Crude has whipsawed this week on conflicting news about progress in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday that prices …

  Bloomberg Electricite de France (EDF) SA kicked off a deeply discounted rights offering of more than 3.1 billion euros ($3.4 billion), a stopgap measure as the state prepares to overhaul the ailing nuclear power giant. A broader reform of the debt-laden utility is planned by President Emmanuel Macron, who said some EDF assets should be nationalised. The firm, already …

  Bloomberg Italy’s government is set to approve a new set of measures to cushion families and businesses from continuing increases in energy and fuel prices. The new aid won’t require additional borrowing for the time being, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said during a press conference in Rome. The package is set to be approved at a cabinet meeting. Financing …

  Bloomberg TotalEnergies SE has been warned by two UK shareholders that they would divest their stakes if the French company fails to exit its businesses in Russia. The Church of England Pensions Board and the Church Commissioners for England are turning up the heat on the energy major’s Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne, a sign of the pressure companies …

  Bloomberg Spain plans to set temporary limits on power prices in the coming weeks, in one of the boldest attempts in Europe to stem a surge in energy costs that has forced industries to shut operations and furlough workers. Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera said she is confident the European Council will give the green light to limits at …

Bloomberg Swedish battery-maker Northvolt AB is building a new plant in northern Germany as European car manufacturers accelerate their shift to electric vehicles. The factory, dubbed “Northvolt Drei,” would produce 60-gigawatt hours of battery capacity annually, the company said. Northvolt expects it to produce its first lithium-ion batteries in 2025. The new plant in Germany will boost Northvolt’s overall battery-cell …

  Bloomberg HSBC Holdings Plc promised to “phase down” its financing of the fossil fuel industry, sending a warning to oil and gas clients as the bank works toward its target of net-zero emissions. The step is in line with “what is required to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees celsius,” HSBC said. Like most of its top-tier …