Building materials group explores ‘strategic options' for its French division as it accelerates its programme to dispose of underperforming assets

An EU-Japan free trade agreement would unite two trading partners that account for roughly a third of global economic output

Sir Richard would join move for his former label with French partner if Universal sells to secure regulatory approval for £1.2bn EMI takeover

German utility's ‘efficiency plan' could see up to 7 per cent of its workforce axed in bid to offset domestic nuclear phase-out and economic downturn

The reactor is supposed to have entered service in 2009 but has been repeatedly delayed, leading to more than €2bn of cost overruns for the company

French bank plans to spin off securities business to independent brokerage Kepler following similar deal between broker and UniCredit

Free access to articles usually held by expensive academic journals would benefit innovation but would force a revolution in business models

IT services group says it has learnt from its ‘naive mistakes' in winning contracts and that its spending has stabilised

Estimated 9m workers took advantage of the measure at an overall cost to the French state of €4.5bn in foregone revenue last year

When Rodrigo Rato became head of Caja Madrid, which later became Bankia, the idea he could face a court two years later would have been inconceivable