Bloomberg Europe’s biggest economies are seeing near-record amounts of solar power as a heat wave spreads across the southwest of the continent, boosting demand for electricity to keep people cool. Solar met almost a quarter of all energy demand in five of Europe’s biggest power markets. The surge in electricity supply did little to ease rising prices that are …

  Bloomberg While US drivers despair over gasoline topping $5 a gallon, spare a thought for motorists in oil-rich Norway, where prices sit at $10. Gas stations in Oslo were selling the unleaded fuel for about 27 kroner a liter, or about $10.30 a gallon, on Friday. That makes it the most expensive European country to fill up and second …

  Bloomberg A breakneck rally in Asian natural gas spot prices is forcing some importers to halt plans to buy additional shipments of the power plant fuel. North Asia spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices are surging towards $40 per million British thermal units, the highest in over three months, on fears of a global supply squeeze, according to traders …

  Bloomberg Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd continues to experience a very high rate of pilot resignations, and may improve allowances and benefits to appease crew who took deep pay cuts to help Hong Kong’s flag carrier navigate its way through the city’s Covid-19 crisis. “We still have resignation rates at much higher levels than we’ve historically had,” Chief Operations and …

  Bloomberg Boohoo Group Plc is considering charging customers to send back garments as an increasing rate of returns crimps sales at the fast-fashion retailer. The British firm, whose business is purely online, is looking at returns across all markets, Chief Executive Officer John Lyttle said, at a time when many retailers are trying to manage logistics costs. While Boohoo …

Bloomberg London Gatwick airport said it will scrap hundreds of flights over the peak summer travel period, hours after Amsterdam’s Schiphol hub took a similar step, as the aviation industry’s staffing crisis deepened. Gatwick, Britain’s second-busiest airport, will limit airlines to 825 flights a day in July and 850 a day in August, from a pre-pandemic peak of around 950 …

Bloomberg Tesco Plc said shoppers are buying fewer items and trading down to cheaper own-brand versions of staples in an “incredibly challenging” market hit by the worst inflation in 40 years. Britain’s biggest supermarket chain reported a greater-than-expected 1.5% decline in comparable UK sales in the first quarter, in fresh evidence of how rising prices are changing shopping behaviour. “Inflation …

  Bloomberg Kroger Co said grocery shoppers are “aggressively” turning to cheaper store brands as they wrestle with the highest inflation in four decades. Same-store sales for Kroger-branded products rose 6.3% in the first quarter, faster than the overall sales growth, the company said Thursday on its earnings call. Customers who are facing higher prices everywhere from the gas pump …

  Bloomberg Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport will limit capacity this summer as long lines caused by a shortage of security staff are expected to persist through the busy holiday months. Hub operator Royal Schiphol Group NV said the maximum number of passengers it’s able to handle will vary, reaching 67,500 on the busiest days in July and 72,500 in August, with …

  Bloomberg Stocks tumbled around the globe as recession fears resurfaced, with the Federal Reserve struggling to get on top of inflation that has proved more persistent and widespread than officials anticipated. The S&P 500 closed at its lowest since December 2020, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 sinks 4%. The deal spread on Elon Musk’s proposed takeover of Twitter Inc. …