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  Bloomberg Prices in British shops hit a fresh record high, heaping more pain on consumers grappling with soaring energy and housing bills. The British Retail Consortium said shop price inflation accelerated to 5.7% in September, topping the previous 5.1% record increase in August. This is highest level of inflation since the index began in 2005 as retailers pass on …

  Bloomberg Swedish fashion retailer H&M is considering charging for online returns amid a series of efficiency measures to reduce surging costs. The company is trying out the fees in Norway and the UK in coming days, embracing a measure that rivals have turned to as well, Chief Executive Officer Helena Helmersson said. “We are testing it as a possible …

  Bloomberg First they came for factory jobs. Then they showed up in service industries. Now, machines are making inroads into the kind of white-collar office work once thought to be the exclusive preserve of humans. The latest wave of automation is building on advances in artificial intelligence and machine-learning that allow computers to perform tasks like speech recognition, and …

  Bloomberg Hyundai Motor Group is contemplating building its first electric-vehicle plant several months earlier than scheduled amid disputes over a new US clean energy law, according to people familiar with the matter. The Seoul-based automaker is looking at whether it is feasible to complete construction of a US plant in Savannah, Georgia around October 2024, the people said, asking …

  Bloomberg American companies have had a growing list of reasons to downgrade their ties with China in recent years. Former President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Beijing’s stringent Covid lockdowns. The US-Sino standoff over Taiwan. Political pressure to “friend-shore” supply chains towards nations aligned with Washington. But breaking up, as the adage goes, is hard to do. That conclusion is evident …

  Bloomberg RoboSense, a Chinese developer of sensor technologies used in self-driving cars, is raising about $150 million in a new funding round to bankroll its product expansion, according to people familiar with the matter. The latest round has drawn investors including China Structural Reform Fund and Mirae Asset Securities Co., said the people, who asked not to be identified …

Bloomberg The 700-meter wide pool of bubbling water in the Baltic Sea caused by the rupture of the Nord Stream gas pipelines points to a climate disaster. It’s the most visible of three major gas leaks emanating from the pipelines connecting Russia to Germany. Scientists are scrambling to work out just how much methane, one of the most powerful greenhouse …

  Bloomberg South Africa’s state-owned power utility will reduce power outages over the weekend after diesel deliveries for its open-cycle gas turbines started. Fuel was delivered to PetroSA’s facility in Mossel Bay on the south coast after the vessel berthed Thursday morning, Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. said in statement on Twitter. The diesel will be transported to the nearby Gourikwa …

  Bloomberg France is looking to replenish its stockpiles of diesel in coming months, another move by a European country to shore up supplies as winter approaches. The French government wants companies to replenish fuel inventories that were released around June as part of a globally co-ordinated stock-draw. The idea is to refill during October and November, a person familiar …

  Bloomberg TotalEnergies SE said it could sell a small part of its 20% stake in Adani Green Energy Ltd. to cash in on the jump in the valuation of the Indian renewable energy producer. The French energy giant bought 20% of Adani Green in 2021 for $2 billion, building on a series of previous deals with Indian billionaire Gautam …