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Hong Kong protesters throng streets under heavy rain

13h01 At least 100,000 anti-government protesters joined a mass rally in Hong Kong on Sunday, filling major thoroughfares in heavy rain in the eleventh week of what have been often violent demonstrations in the Asian financial. . . Full story Most read today

Russian nuclear plant turns off unit after safety system error

12h32 Block 4 of Russia's Beloyarsk nuclear power station in the Urals mountains was switched off on Sunday following a "false" response by the safety system, a subsidiary of state nuclear corporation Rosatom said.. . . Full story

No more spending excuses for Merkel as investment bottlenecks ease

12h30 German Chancellor Angela Merkel has fended off growing calls for more fiscal stimulus by citing the slow outflow of existing federal funds - but data suggests the money is indeed being used up as. . . Full story

Last orders: Rise of closing auctions stirs worries in European stock markets

01h01 The final five minutes of trading have become the busiest time of day for stock market traders in Europe.. . . Full story Most read today

SoftBank plans to lend up to $20 bln to employees to invest in new fund- WSJ

17/08 Japan's SoftBank Group Corp is planning to lend up to $20 billion to its employees, including Chief Executive Masayoshi Son, to buy stakes in its second Vision Fund, the Wall Street Journal reported https://on.wsj.com/307Ljih on. . . Full story

Germany's Scholz: Don't expect higher interest rates for years

17/08 German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that he expected interest rates to remain very low for "the next few years", adding that companies should seize the opportunity of near-zero borrowing costs to boost. . . Full story

Standard Chartered faces fine for sanctions breaches- Sky News

17/08 Banking group Standard Chartered is facing a fine for failing to prevent sanctions breaches, Sky News reported on Saturday.. . . Full story

Refinitiv data shows detained Grace 1 still at anchor

17/08 Refinitiv tracking data briefly showed the Iranian tanker at the centre of a diplomatic dispute between Tehran and the West had changed its position status off Gibraltar on Saturday.. . . Full story

U.S. issues warrant to seize Iranian tanker off Gibraltar

17/08 The United States has issued a warrant to seize an Iranian oil tanker caught in the standoff between Tehran and the West in a last ditch effort to prevent the vessel from leaving Gibraltar.. . . Full story

U.S. judge urges VW, SEC to resolve civil Dieselgate suit

16/08 A federal judge in California on Friday urged the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Volkswagen AG to resolve a civil suit stemming from its Dieselgate emissions scandal.. . . Full story

Iran tanker shifts position but still at anchor off Gibraltar

16/08 An Iranian tanker caught in the standoff between Tehran and the West shifted position on Friday, but its anchor was still down off Gibraltar and it was unclear if it was ready to set. . . Full story

UK judge to allow firm to try to seize $9 bln in Nigerian assets in gas dispute

16/08 A judge in London said on Friday he would grant a firm called Process and Industrial Developments Ltd (P&ID) the right to seek to seize some $9 billion in assets from the Nigerian government. . . Full story

UK shares bag gains after delayed stock market open

16/08 UK shares rebounded on Friday after the London Stock Exchange's longest outage in years, with more stimulus plans from China bolstering the blue-chips and increased optimism about Britain avoiding a disruptive no-deal Brexit lifting. . . Full story

Russian businessman behind shuttered Latvian bank PNB attacks ECB

16/08 The Russian former owner of a stricken Latvian lender has attacked the European Central Bank (ECB) for abruptly shutting it, amid a bitter dispute after he previously accused an ECB governor of corruption.. . . Full story

German stimulus hopes pull European shares from 6-month lows

16/08 European shares rebounded from six-months lows on Friday, ending a tumultuous week on a positive note as hopes of fiscal stimulus from Germany lifted sentiment and sparked a rally in the battered banks sector,. . . Full story

Uncertainty on global growth, trade war weighs on market

16/08 Most industrial metals prices fell on Friday, weighed down by uncertainty over how much weak global economic growth is undermining demand, but aluminium rose on potential shortages.. . . Full story

Some top Deutsche Bank investors want chairman to step down early - Der Spiegel

16/08 Some of Deutsche Bank's major investors want supervisory board chairman Paul Achleitner to step down before his term ends in 2022, a German magazine reported on Friday.. . . Full story

Cathay CEO resigns amid Hong Kong protest blowback as more rallies planned

16/08 The boss of Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific Airways quit on Friday, the highest-profile corporate casualty of unrest roiling the former British colony, after Beijing targeted the airline over staff involvement in mass protests.. . . Full story

German bond yields bounce off lows after budget report

16/08 German government bond yields rose on Friday, reversing earlier falls, after a media report said that the government in Berlin was prepared to ditch its balanced budget rule and take on new debt to. . . Full story

UK yields lift off record lows on global stimulus bets

16/08 Long-dated British government bond yields bounced off record lows and short-dated yields jumped to a four-week high on Friday, as investors paused for breath after ditching stocks in favour of bonds earlier this week.. . . Full story

Turkey's military pension fund reaches British Steel deal

16/08 Turkey's military pension fund OYAK has reached a provisional agreement to take over British Steel and could close the deal by the end of this year, potentially saving thousands of jobs.. . . Full story

Germany ready to ditch balanced budget in case of recession - Spiegel

16/08 Germany's right-left coalition government would be prepared to ditch its balanced budget rule and take on new debt to counter a possible recession, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Friday.. . . Full story

-UK judge blocks $15 bln transfer of Prudential annuities to Rothesay Life

16/08 A UK High Court judge has blocked the transfer of 12 billion pounds ($15 billion) in annuities from insurer Prudential to Rothesay Life, the two companies said on Friday.. . . Full story

Novo Nordisk contests Danish lawsuit claiming $1.75 bln

16/08 Danish insulin-maker Novo Nordisk said it would fight a lawsuit filed in a Danish court on Friday which alleges the company made misleading statements about its insulin business in the United States, the company said. . . Full story

BMW's CEO urges staff to narrow sales gap with Mercedes

16/08 BMW's new chief executive urged employees to embrace change and to find innovative ways to help the Bavarian carmaker overtake rival Mercedes at a time when demand for luxury cars is waning.. . . Full story

Slovenian appliance maker Gorenje to create 100 new jobs

16/08 Gorenje, owned by Chinese electronics firm Hisense, will create 100 new jobs in the coming weeks to meet higher demand, the Slovenian appliance maker told Reuters on Friday.. . . Full story

Cathay Pacific Airways CEO Rupert Hogg resigns as Chinese scrutiny mounts

16/08 Cathay Pacific Airways CEO Rupert Hogg resigned in a shock move on Friday, amid mounting Chinese regulatory scrutiny of the Hong Kong carrier over the involvement of its employees in the city's anti-government protests.. . . Full story

Dirty shipping fuel margins plunge as cleaner fuel rules loom

16/08 Margins for European high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO), used to power ships, sank this week as preparations for a global shift to cleaner maritime fuel next year start to weigh on prices.. . . Full story

GLOBAL LNG-Prices steady as Japan swelters and Texas plant readies export

16/08 Asian spot prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG) remained steady this week amid sweltering heat in Japan driving buying activity, while a new project in the United States is expected to load its first. . . Full story

Freenet threatens to derail $6.4 billion Sunrise-UPC deal

16/08 German telecoms group Freenet fired off a salvo of demands on Friday to cut the price and amend the terms of Sunrise Communication's proposed 6.3 billion Swiss franc ($6.4 billion) takeover of Liberty Global's Swiss. . . Full story

LSE's FTSE stock market suffers longest outage in years

16/08 A technical glitch delayed the start of trading on Friday on the UK blue chip FTSE 100 and midcap stock indexes for almost two hours in what was the longest outage at one of. . . Full story

LSE Says GTD Orders Expected To Expire This Morning Remained In System

16/08 London Stock Exchange:. . . Full story

Rudderless rebellion: Inside the Hong Kong protesters' anarchic campaign against China

16/08 Ah Lung spends his days working as a clerk for a Hong Kong shipping firm. At night, he dons a mask, black helmet and body armor, and heads out into the streets to face. . . Full story

SIX Swiss Exchange denies report it could buy an EU-based bourse

16/08 Swiss financial infrastructure group SIX Swiss Exchange is not looking to buy a bourse based in the European Union, it said on Friday, denying a report it could do so amid squabbling between Switzerland. . . Full story

FTSE stock trading starts after technical fault delays open

16/08 Stock trading on the London Stock Exchange's major stock indexes started at 0840 GMT on Friday, after a technical glitch delayed the start of trading on the FTSE 100 and midcap markets.. . . Full story

UK looking to complete British Steel sale to Turkish military fund in coming weeks

16/08 Britain is looking to complete the sale of British Steel to Ataer Holdings, an affiliate of Turkey's military pension fund OYAK, in the coming weeks, the Insolvency Service said on Friday.. . . Full story

BRITAIN'S INSOLVENCY SERVICE SAYS AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH ATAER HOLDINGS SEES THE PREFERRED BUYER IN EXCLUSIVE TALKS TO CONFIRM THEIR INTENTION TO TAKE ON THE STEEL MAKING BUSINESS AND SUBSIDIARIES

16/08 . . . Full story

PwC to manage remnants of Britain's 'bad bank'

16/08 Consultancy PwC has been appointed to run the remnants of Britain's 'bad bank' that snapped up assets from collapsed lenders Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley in the financial crisis.. . . Full story

Iran denies commitments in exchange for tanker release

16/08 Iran has made no commitments to gain the release of its tanker from detention in Gibraltar, an Iranian government spokesman was quoted as saying on Friday, reiterating that Grace 1 was never bound for. . . Full story

China's Shenzhen Gas to launch new LNG terminal with cargo from ENI

16/08 Chinese city-gas distributor Shenzhen Gas will launch next week in southern China its first fully-owned terminal to import liquefied natural gas (LNG), a company executive told Reuters on Friday.. . . Full story

Iran tanker can leave when ready, U.S. legal block still looms -Gibraltar

16/08 An Iranian tanker detained in Gibraltar for breaching EU sanctions could be allowed to leave on Friday, though a last minute U.S. legal bid to halt it could yet end up back in court,. . . Full story

Weight of history: Chongqing Steel and China's state sector dilemma

16/08 A year and a half ago, Chongqing Iron and Steel Corp (CISC), China's oldest steelmaker, was rescued from the brink of bankruptcy in a deal hailed as a shining example of how struggling state companies. . . Full story

China warns it could quell Hong Kong protesters; Trump urges Xi to meet them

15/08 Hong Kong braced for more mass protests over the weekend, even as China warned it could use its power to quell demonstrations and U.S. President Donald Trump urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to meet. . . Full story

Burford brings in caretaker CFO in governance overhaul

15/08 Burford Capital, the litigation funder embroiled in a stand-off with short-seller Muddy Waters, on Thursday confirmed plans for a dual U.S. listing as it replaced its finance chief over investor concerns about her marriage to. . . Full story

Gibraltar decides to free seized Iranian tanker; U.S. seeks to hold it

15/08 Britain's Mediterranean territory Gibraltar decided on Thursday to free a seized Iranian oil tanker, but did not immediately indicate when or if the ship would set sail after the United States launched a new, last-minute. . . Full story

Beijing has option of forceful intervention in Hong Kong -Global Times tabloid

15/08 China has the option to "forcefully intervene" to quell violent protests in Hong Kong, an influential state-controlled tabloid warned in an editorial on Friday, lashing out at what Beijing describes as U.S. interference in Hong. . . Full story

Merkel protege says priority is to invest as economy stutters

15/08 The head of Germany's conservatives said on Thursday speeding up investment must be a priority as fears of recession in Europe's biggest economy grow, and that strict fiscal rules have flexibility built in so. . . Full story

FTSE 100 plunges to 6-month low on China's trade threat

15/08 London's FTSE 100 tumbled to a six-month low as China's warning to counter the latest U.S. tariffs fanned trade tensions, while the more domestically focused midcap index fared better in comparison, amid investors' hopes. . . Full story

Iranian tanker's owner says ship will head to Mediterranean ports - report

15/08 The owner of an Iranian oil tanker that was seized off Gibraltar says the ship will head to Mediterranean ports, an Iranian maritime official was quoted as saying on Thursday, after Gibraltar decided to. . . Full story

Trade worries plague European shares, FTSE underperforms

15/08 European shares hit six-month lows in a volatile session on Thursday, with London stocks losing more than 1%, as China warned of retaliation against U.S. tariffs, heightening fears of the continued impact of their. . . Full story

Fire at ArcelorMittal steel plant in Poland extinguished

15/08 ArcelorMittal said a fire that broke out at its steel plant in the Polish city of Krakow on Thursday has been extinguished but the blast furnace would be shut down for two to three. . . Full story

'Debt brake', 'black zero': Germany's fiscal rules under scrutiny

15/08 The German government has come under pressure to abandon its balanced budget goal and finance more fiscal stimulus with new debt. With Europe's largest economy on the brink of recession and Berlin's borrowing costs at. . . Full story

Copper drops as China prepares to fight back against U.S. tariffs

15/08 Copper slipped on Thursday after China said it would hit back against additional U.S. tariffs, fuelling fears over global growth and metals demand.. . . Full story

Russia's Mechel requests more time to repay its debts

15/08 Russian coal and steel producer Mechel has asked state-controlled lenders Sberbank , VTB and Gazprombank for more time to make its debt repayments, the banks and company said on Thursday.. . . Full story

ECB shuts down one of its websites after hacker attack

15/08 The European Central Bank (ECB) shut down one of its websites on Thursday after it was hacked and infected with malicious software.. . . Full story

UK 30-year yields fall below 1% for first time on record

15/08 British 30-year government bond yields fell below 1% for the first time on record on Thursday, after investors flocked into safe. . . Full story

Ryanair expects minimal disruption from planned strikes

15/08 Ryanair expects minimal cancellations with affected passengers flying out at different times if pilots in Britain and Ireland go ahead with a two-day strike next week, the airline's chief people officer said on Thursday.. . . Full story

Modi urges Indians to visit 15 domestic tourism sites, but practicality doubted

15/08 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday came up with one idea to get India's stuttering economy humming again - get every Indian to visit 15 domestic tourist destinations over the next three years.. . . Full story

Kenya set for first crude oil exports after striking ChemChina deal

15/08 Kenya is set to export its first crude oil after its government and a group led by explorer Tullow Oil picked trading company ChemChina UK Ltd to buy its first shipments, the Petroleum and. . . Full story

Day-ahead prices rise as demand set to rebound after public holiday

15/08 An expected rebound in power demand after a holiday in parts of western Europe lifted day-ahead wholesale electricity prices on Thursday, while a fall in German wind power supply also underpinned the market.. . . Full story

Protest-hit Hong Kong unveils $2.4 bln economic support package

15/08 The Hong Kong government unveiled a HK$19.1 billion ($2.4 billion) package on Thursday to support a slowing economy as escalating political protests and the prolonged U.S.-China trade war weigh heavily on the Asian financial centre.. . . Full story

LME open-outcry trading holds off electronic challenge: Andy Home

15/08 The London Metal Exchange (LME) is now the only open-outcry market in Europe and one of the last in the world.. . . Full story

Bulgaria's jobless rate edges up to 5.3% in July

15/08 Bulgaria's unemployment rate edged up to 5.3 percent in July from 5.2 percent in June as seasonal job opportunities decreased, data from the state employment agency showed on Thursday. Some 172,643. . . Full story

China will not "sit on its hands" if Hong Kong protests intensify, says UK ambassador

15/08 China will use its power to quell Hong Kong protests if the situation deteriorates further after some protesters have shown signs of terrorism, China's ambassador to London said on Thursday.. . . Full story

Online spending helps UK retail sales grow unexpectedly in July

15/08 British retail sales unexpectedly edged up in July, helped by the strongest growth in online spending in three years, as consumers continued to support the economy before the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline.. . . Full story

Maersk warns trade war could hurt container business

15/08 A.P. Moller-Maersk warned a trade war between the United States and China could curb container traffic this year after the world's largest container shipping company beat second-quarter profit expectations.. . . Full story

Shares of Germany's SGL tumble after profit warning, CEO resignation

15/08 Shares of German carbon fibre maker SGL Group tumbled 32% to their lowest in nearly 17 years on Thursday after the company withdrew its forecasts for the next three years and said its CEO. . . Full story

Drillisch shares slump as earnings guidance trimmed, 5G costs loom

15/08 Shares in telecoms firm 1&1 Drillisch and its parent United Internet slumped to six-year lows on Thursday after they trimmed profit guidance due to initial 5G network costs and higher line connection charges.. . . Full story

UK'S Cuadrilla resumes shale gas fracking at Lancashire site

15/08 British shale gas exploration firm Cuadrilla said on Thursday it had resumed fracking at its site in Lancashire, after securing all required permits.. . . Full story

Russia's VTB expands grain export business with acquisition of trader

15/08 Russian state-controlled bank VTB said on Thursday that it had completed its purchase of a 70% stake in local grain trader Mirogroup, expanding the lender's diversification into the grain export business.. . . Full story

German government bond yield curve flattens as recession concerns mount

15/08 Euro zone government bond yields went further into negative territory on Thursday, reflecting concerns of an impending global recession after the U.S. yield curve remained inverted for the second straight trading session.. . . Full story

CHINA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE UK SAYS IF THE SITUATION DETERIORATES IN HONG KONG INTO UNCONTROLLABLE UNREST, THE CENTRAL GOVT WILL NOT SIT BY AND WATCH, WE HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO QUELL UNREST

15/08 . . . Full story

CHINA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE UK SAYS HOPES PEOPLE IN UK WILL REFRAIN FROM SAYING OR DOING ANYTHING WHICH INTERFERES IN HONG KONG'S AFFAIRS OR UNDERMINES RULE OF LAW

15/08 . . . Full story

Ladbrokes parent GVC sees profit beat as UK betting shops outperform

15/08 Ladbrokes-owner GVC Holdings sees earnings beating expectations this year as its UK betting shops fare better than feared in the face of stricter regulation on fixed-odds betting terminals.. . . Full story

Strategie Grains raises forecasts for EU wheat harvest and exports

15/08 Strategie Grains has made a sharp increase to its forecasts for European Union production and exports of soft wheat this season, citing strong harvest expectations in France and Britain together with increasingly competitive EU export. . . Full story

Relentless rise of consumer debt in Russia fuels bubble fears for some

15/08 Natalia Leontyeva, a Siberian sales manager, bought a second hand car in 2013 with a loan worth about four monthly salaries. She now owes the equivalent of at least four years of earnings, one. . . Full story

Britain's blackout raises questions about reliability: Kemp

15/08 Britain’s widespread power outage last Friday, which cut electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes and hit parts of the rail network, has raised uncomfortable questions about the reliability of the electricity system.. . . Full story

Maersk CEO Says Risk Of Recession May Further Hurt Demand In Container Shipping

15/08 Maersk:. . . Full story

MAERSK CEO SAYS ALMOST ALL HIGHER FUEL COSTS RELATED TO NEW REGULATION WILL BE PUSHED ONTO CUSTOMERS; SAYS SHIPPING INDUSTRY CANNOT ABSORB THE HIGHER FUEL COSTS

15/08 . . . Full story

MAERSK CEO SAYS NO REASON TO BELIEVE CURRENT LOW GROWTH SCENARIO IN CONTAINER SHIPPING WILL END SOON; SAYS RISK OF RECESSION MAY FURTHER HURT DEMAND IN CONTAINER SHIPPING

15/08 . . . Full story

Kaz Minerals cautious on copper as trade war, China growth worries hurt

15/08 Miner Kaz Minerals on Thursday took a cautious stance on the short-term outlook for the copper market, due to concerns over the prolonged Sino-U.S. trade war and slowdown in the world's top metals. . . Full story

Net profit down nearly a third at Dutch lender Rabobank

15/08 Rabobank reported a 29% fall in first-half net profit on Thursday, which the Dutch cooperative lender blamed on rising impairment charges, restructuring costs and low interest rates.. . . Full story

Australia's Treasury Wine posts record profit on strong China demand

15/08 Australia's Treasury Wine Estates posted a record annual profit due to robust demand for its premium wines in China, adding that its strategy to geographically diversify was helping it cope with the U.S.-China trade war.. . . Full story

U.S. trade policies and Brexit slow down Dutch economy -govt adviser

15/08 Economic growth in the Netherlands will slow down more than anticipated next year, as exports are hit by the fallout of U.S. trade policies and Brexit, national forecasting agency CPB said on Thursday.. . . Full story

Vision Fund makes $110 mln bet on renewable energy storage

15/08 Softbank Group's Vision Fund has made its first foray into energy storage technology with a $110 million investment in Switzerland-based Energy Vault.. . . Full story

Vessels from Venezuela can still transit Panama Canal -authority

15/08 The Panama Canal will allow vessels coming from Venezuela to transit the waterway provided they present the necessary paperwork, the canal authority's chief said on Wednesday, suggesting a new round of U.S. sanctions on the. . . Full story

Hong Kong protesters offer apologies, China doubles down after airport clash

14/08 China said on Wednesday Hong Kong's protest movement had reached "near terrorism" and more street clashes followed ugly scenes the previous day when protesters set upon men they suspected of being government sympathisers.. . . Full story

Drillisch, United Internet, trim guidance as 5G challenge looms

14/08 German telecoms firm 1&1 Drillisch and its parent company United Internet slightly trimmed their profit guidance on Wednesday to account for regulatory effects and the initial costs of a planned 5G network.. . . Full story

U.S.-British trade pact won't pass Congress if Good Friday deal harmed -Pelosi

14/08 There is no chance the U.S. Congress would approve a planned U.S.-British trade deal if Britain's exit from the European Union undermines the landmark 1998 Good Friday peace agreement for Northern Ireland, House of Representatives. . . Full story

European shares slide to six-month low as recession fears rise

14/08 European stocks tumbled to a six-month low on Wednesday, as an inversion in the U.S. yield curve following bleak data out of major economies including Germany and China pointed to a looming recession.. . . Full story

Portugal's striking fuel-tanker drivers ready to talk to employers

14/08 Portugal's striking fuel-tanker drivers said on Wednesday they were ready to sit down with employers, in what appeared to be the first conciliatory gesture in an industrial stoppage that has led to petrol rationing. . . Full story

Copper falls as Chinese factory growth tumbles to 17-year low

14/08 Copper prices fell on Wednesday after industrial output growth in China, the largest metals consumer, fell to a more than 17-year low, weakening the outlook for demand.. . . Full story

FTSE 100 sinks to two month low on recession fears

14/08 Britain's FTSE 100 tumbled to its lowest in more than two months on Wednesday after the yields on 10-year U.S. and UK government bonds fell below two-year equivalents for the first time since the. . . Full story

Sanctions-hit Rosneft requests payment in euros in naphtha tender

14/08 Russian state oil company Rosneft has for the first time asked buyers to use the euro as the default currency in a spot tender to sell naphtha, an official Rosneft document shows.. . . Full story

UK yield curve inverts for first time since 2008 as global market gloom sets in

14/08 Britain's government bond yield curve inverted on Wednesday for the first time since the global financial crisis, mirroring a move in the United States where it is traditionally a sign that some investors think. . . Full story

Euro bond yields at new lows after U.S. yield curve inverts

14/08 Government borrowing costs in Germany fell to record lows on Wednesday as global recession fears grew, with the U.S. Treasury yield curve inverting for the first time since 2007 and Germany reporting that its. . . Full story

Finland's finance ministry proposes 2020 budget deficit of 2.3 bln euros

14/08 Finland's finance ministry proposed a 2020 budget of 57 billion euros ($63.7 billion) on Wednesday, up from an estimated 55.7 billion in 2019, and a deficit of 2.3 billion euros, up from a deficit. . . Full story

Canadian pension giant plans hiring spree in Asia, Europe

14/08 Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, one of the world's biggest pension funds, plans to hire "extensively" in Asia and Europe over the next two years and could shift an extra C$11 billion ($8.3 billion) into infrastructure. . . Full story

Ryanair Spanish cabin crew unions threaten 10 days of strikes

14/08 Unions representing Ryanair cabin crew in Spain on Wednesday announced plans to hold 10 days of strikes in September unless the Irish airline changes its plans to close several bases in the country.. . . Full story

Shrinking German economy "on edge of recession" as exports stutter

14/08 Slumping exports sent Germany's economy into reverse in the second quarter, with prospects of an early recovery slim as its manufacturers struggle at the sharp end of a global slowdown amplified by tariff conflicts. . . Full story

Swiss project bigger-than-expected 2019 budget surplus

14/08 The Swiss federal government projected a 2019 budget surplus of 2.8 billion Swiss francs ($2.88 billion), more than double the initially budgeted amount, thanks to expected tax revenue and the auction of mobile communications frequencies.. . . Full story

German govt still sees economy growing slightly in 2019 despite Q2 contraction

14/08 Chancellor Angela Merkel's government still believes the German economy will grow slightly this year despite contracting in the second quarter, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday, adding that the government did not think further stimulus was. . . Full story