Category: Europe

Building British trade outside the EU is a priority for Theresa May’s government, so existing deals could be a useful starting point to any negotiation. But could the UK take over existing trade agreements the EU has with other countries, under “grandfather rights”, the phrase for allowing old rules to continue to apply amidst new…

The nuclear industry is gradually recovering from its post-Fukushima slump, but excess capacity keeps uranium prices at record lows, forcing mining companies to mothball mines, slice costs and cut debt as they struggle to survive. In the wake of the March 2011 Fukushima disaster, Japan closed its nuclear reactors, which accounted for some ten percent…

The British economy will face turbulence as the government negotiates the country’s exit from the European Union, finance minister Philip Hammond said on Monday. On Sunday, Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain would begin formal divorce talks with the EU by the end of March next year, and Hammond said he was in favor of…

The nuclear industry is gradually recovering from its post-Fukushima slump, but excess capacity keeps uranium prices at record lows, forcing mining companies to mothball mines, slice costs and cut debt as they struggle to survive. In the wake of the March 2011 Fukushima disaster, Japan closed its nuclear reactors, which accounted for some ten percent…

The European Commission is planning to open an in-depth investigation into the planned £21bn merger of London’s Stock Exchange and Germany’s Deutsche Boerse. The scheme would combine the stock exchanges of the UK, Germany and Italy and some big clearing houses to create Europe’s largest exchange operator. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said it had to make…

Sainsbury’s has reported a second consecutive quarter of falling sales, blaming falling food prices. Excluding fuel, like-for-like sales, which strip out the impact of new store openings, fell 1.1% in the 16 weeks to 24 September. Total sales fell 0.4%. Despite the drop, the UK’s second-largest supermarket said it was continuing to make progress. Chief…

The German government and financial authorities are working on a rescue plan for Deutsche Bank in case it cannot pay fines in the US, according to Die Zeit newspaper. Germany’s biggest lender is facing a $14bn (£10.8bn; €12.5bn) bill for mis-selling mortgage-backed bonds before the financial crisis of 2008. In the worst-case scenario, the government…