Business

The purchase is seen as an attempt to boost its lithium portfolio and strengthen its position as the transition towards green energy continues. ADVERTISEMENT Mining giant Rio Tinto is to buy US-based Arcadium Lithium in a deal worth some $6.7bn (€6.11bn). This is seen to be a step towards strengthening the former’s lithium offerings, with the company aiming for a …

The European Commission says it will ‘robustly’ challenge China’s decision to impose provisional antidumping measures on imports of brandy from the EU. ADVERTISEMENT The European Commission has reacted angrily to China’s decision to bring in temporarily anti-dumping measures on imported brandy from the European Union (EU). In a statement issued after China announced its plans, the European Commission said: “The EU …

South Korean and Indian government bonds are set to join global index provider FTSE Russell in 2025, in a move that is expected to attract billions of dollars of foreign investment into their local bond markets. ADVERTISEMENT Global financial market index provider, FTSE Russell, will include South Korean government bonds in the FTSE World Government Bond Index (WGBI) and Indian …

Easing fears of a potential Israeli attack on Iran’s oil facilities have sent both oil and global prices sharply lower on Tuesday. However, volatility is likely to persist, with critical economic events later this week. ADVERTISEMENT Both oil and gold prices fell sharply on Tuesday amid potential ceasefire talks between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese military group. Oil futures …

Italy’s ambitious Structural Budget Plan aims to steer the country out of the European Union’s Excessive Deficit Procedure by 2026, but economists warn aggressive fiscal tightening could harm growth and risk recession. ADVERTISEMENT Italy this week unveiled an ambitious Structural Budget Plan – “Piano Strutturale di Bilancio (PSB)”, aimed at tackling its long-standing debt challenge while stabilising public finances.  Although the …

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is to take a 40% share in the iconic London department store in what will be Selfridges’ second change of ownership in two years. ADVERTISEMENT Embattled Austrian property and retail giant Signa Holdings has sold its shares in the Selfridges Group to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The multi-billion-euro deal is the latest in a …

BP has been facing increasing pressure from investors and stakeholders to cut down its green ambitions and to stay within the more profitable fossil fuels sector. Environmental groups are angry. ADVERTISEMENT Oil giant BP is reportedly giving up its target to reduce its oil production in the next five years as part of a change of strategy, more of which …

The heavy fine for the UK’s biggest water supplier comes shortly after the troubled utility company announced it was in talks with creditors to seek new equity, to prevent it running out of cash by May next year. ADVERTISEMENT UK water regulator Ofwat has fined Thames Water £104m (€124m) for its part in illegal sewage discharges into rivers and sea. …

Despite a steep drop in fuel prices, annual inflation in the Netherlands was still 3.5% in September, one of the highest in the eurozone. ADVERTISEMENT Prices in the Netherlands were 3.5% higher in September than a year earlier, according to the final figures published by the Netherlands Statistics Office (CBS).  The pace of the price increase was, however, slightly slower …

eBay UK has scrapped the fees private sellers have to pay to access the online marketplace, in a move designed to see off competition for the rapidly growing and hugely profitable pre-loved sector. ADVERTISEMENT eBay is second only to Amazon as the biggest online marketplace in the world. Earlier this year, eBay UK abolished fees for private users selling pre-loved clothing, which, the …