March 31, 2012
Spain budget: Cuts to total 27bn euros this year
Spain is cutting 27bn euros ($36bn; £22.5bn) from its budget this year as part of one of the toughest austerity drives in its history. Changes will include freezing public sector workers' salaries and reducing departmental budgets by 16.9%. The…
March 31, 2012
Three US credit firms warn of security breach
Visa, Mastercard and Discover have warned that credit card holders' personal information could be at risk after a security breach. The firms said there had been "no breach" of its own system, instead blaming a third party. Security blog…
March 31, 2012
Iran crisis: US to apply fresh oil sanctions
US President Barack Obama has approved the introduction of fresh sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil. In a statement, Mr Obama said US allies boycotting Iranian oil would not suffer negative consequences because there was enough oil in the world…
March 31, 2012
Ford invests $1.3bn in Mexico plant
US car giant Ford has announced a $1.3bn (£800m) investment in its plant in the Mexican town of Hermosillo, creating 1,000 jobs. The investment will help Ford meet growing demand for its Fusion and Lincoln MKZ models, the company said. Ford has…
March 29, 2012
US Judge Postpones Ruling on Strauss-Kahn Case
A U.S. judge has postponed a ruling on whether to dismiss a hotel maid's civil lawsuit against French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Bronx state Supreme Court Justice Douglas McKeon heard arguments Wednesday in Nafisatou Diallo's suit. He…
March 27, 2012
CaixaBank becomes Spain’s biggest bank by assets
Spain's biggest bank in terms of assets has been created after CaixaBank bought Banca Civica for 977m euros ($1.3bn, £817m). The government has amended laws to encourage mergers between banks, many of which collapsed following the bursting of the…
March 27, 2012
Apple could up China investment as Tim Cook visits
Apple has indicated it will consider higher investments in China, as chief executive Tim Cook visited Beijing to meet Chinese officials. "China is very important to us and we look forward to even greater investment and growth here," said Carolyn…
March 27, 2012
Flights cancelled as strike disrupts German air travel
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled at German airports as ground staff strike over demands for more pay. National airline Lufthansa said it had scrapped more than 400 flights scheduled for Tuesday, mostly at Germany's biggest airport,…
March 27, 2012
Dominique Strauss-Kahn on formal sex ring investigation
Former International Monetary Fund boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been placed under formal investigation in France over alleged involvement in a prostitution ring. The move could lead to formal charges. He has admitted attending parties where the…
March 27, 2012
Rio Tinto explores diamond mines sale
Rio Tinto has said it will explore selling its interests in the diamond trade. The world's second-largest miner of iron ore said that it is considering "whether we can create more value through a different ownership structure". Rio Tinto operates…