The board of UK watchdog Ofwat is split over whether to approve a rescue deal offered by the creditors of Thames Water, increasing the risk the utility could collapse into special administration, Bloomberg News reported. Ofwat’s board — eight men and women charged with deciding the future of the UK’s largest water and sewerage company — have so far failed to reach a consensus on the deal floated last month by senior creditors, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified talking about confidential negotiations.

The costs of managing the insolvency of the main trading arm of Greensill are expected to reach more than £90 million this year, The Times reported. Administrators of Greensill Capital (UK), or GCUK, which collapsed more than five years ago, said they are still dealing with the complicated fallout from its failure, including a series of regulatory and legal issues and the fact that more than $587 million “remains outstanding” from Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance.

European countries are putting together a plan for a broad coalition of countries to help free up shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, including sending mine-clearing and other military vessels. But the plan would only come after the war and may exclude one country in particular: the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reported. French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday the plan is for an international defensive mission that doesn’t include the “belligerent” parties, meaning the U.S., Israel and Iran.

Britain's financial regulator said ‌on Wednesday ‌it was consulting on ​how firms might be affected by the regulation of the ‌crypto ⁠industry which is due to come ⁠into effect by October 2027, Reuters reported.

Finding an affordable and decent place to live has become increasingly difficult across Europe. Housing accounts for one-fifth of the average EU household’s income. This share is significantly higher in some countries, reaching 35% in Greece according to Eurostat, EuroNews.com reported. Rising rents are a significant burden for Europeans. In 2025, rents increased by 3.1% in the EU. In some countries, rent inflation reached double digits. Within the EU, the average rate of change for actual rentals for housing ranged from 1% in Finland to 17.6% in Croatia.

Spain's inflation rate rose to 3.4% in March, driven mainly by higher fuel prices linked to the Middle East war, Reuters reported. The figure, confirmed by the National Statistics Institute (INE), represents an increase of 1.1 percentage points from the 2.3% recorded in February and one tenth above the provisional estimate published at the end of March. Core inflation, which strips out energy and fresh food, reached 2.7% in March, two tenths above both February's reading and the INE's initial advance.

Austrian bank Bawag and Permanent TSB have agreed on a takeover deal that values the Irish retail lender at 1.62 billion euros ($1.90 billion), the Wall Street Journal reported. PTSB, which is majority owned by the Irish government and competes with larger peers AIB Group and Bank of Ireland, put itself up for sale last year to allow the finance ministry to exit its remaining 57.5% position. Bawag is offering 2.97 euros in cash for each PTSB share, the companies said Tuesday.

The insolvency of Swedish battery maker Northvolt will cost German taxpayers less than previously estimated, after parts of public funding were recovered, officials said on Friday, DPAInternational.com reported. As part of US firm Lyten’s planned acquisition of Northvolt's German subsidiary, the Northvolt Drei gigafactory project, the federal government and the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein have recovered €153 million ($179.2 million) in public funds. The money has already been repaid, the German Economy Ministry confirmed to dpa.

Nacon, the French gaming publisher, has postponed its highly anticipated Nacon Connect showcase until later in May, citing financial troubles stemming from a missed loan repayment by its majority shareholder, Bigben Interactive. The company has filed for insolvency and is now focused on restructuring its debt and securing its long-term viability, NationalToday.com reported. Nacon's financial woes have raised concerns among gaming enthusiasts and industry observers about the company's future.

Businessman Paddy McKillen jnr’s bid to set aside a bankruptcy summons issued against him over an alleged €2.1 million debt will be heard by the High Court in May, the Irish Times reported. When the matter was mentioned before Judge Liam Kennedy on Monday, he set a hearing date for May 11th. The judge was told by barrister Keith Farry, for McKillen jnr, of Torquay Road, Foxrock, Dublin, the necessary legal documents had been exchanged between the sides.