Spanish inflation accelerated for a second month as the government continued to remove support that had helped keep a lid on soaring energy costs, Bloomberg News reported. Consumer prices rose 3.4% from a year earlier in April, data published Monday showed. That’s in line with the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Stripping out energy and some food costs, core inflation dipped more than anticipated to 2.9% — the lowest level since early 2022. Spanish numbers kick off a raft of data across the euro area, with German inflation later Monday also projected to quicken a touch.

Poland’s ruling coalition said it’s aiming to ensure that the nation avoids a scenario under which the level of government debt breaches a limit imposed by the European Union, Bloomberg News reported. Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s administration is now working on a draft fiscal plan following eight years of Law and Justice government. This year’s budget sees the debt at 54% of gross domestic product, while the Finance Ministry said there is a risk that the level of 60% may be breached in the next few years.

The number of English and Welsh companies going bust stabilized in the first quarter after hitting a three-decade high in 2023 following a hit to balance sheets from soaring energy bills and interest rates, Bloomberg News reported. Company insolvencies in England and Wales fell 2% from a year ago to 5,759 in the first three months of the year, according to the government’s Insolvency Service. It was down 12% on the previous quarter.

The debt crisis at Thames Water is jeopardizing £100 billion ($125 billion) of potential investment required over the next five years to mend Britain’s crumbling utilities infrastructure, Bloomberg News reported. Water companies have promised to deploy the sum to fix leaky pipes, build new reservoirs and prevent sewage from pouring into the country’s seas and rivers, according to water regulator Ofwat. But investors warn the money may not be readily available if the government forces losses on Thames Water creditors.

Sri Lanka will hand over management of its $209 million Chinese-built airport to two Indian and Russian companies, a cabinet statement said on Friday, as the island nation attempts to reduce losses from its state enterprises. Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), funded by China EXIM Bank, has stoked controversy since its opening in 2013 due to a low number of flights, environmentally sensitive location and persistent financial losses. The airport's management will be handed over to Shaurya Aeronautics (Pvt) Ltd.

The UK’s financial watchdog pushed back against criticism of its plan to name firms it’s investigating at an early stage, which it thinks will boost transparency and deterrence, Bloomberg News reported. The Financial Conduct Authority believes the proposals are timely, according to its response to a House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee published on Friday. Firms and consumers benefit from knowing which issues are in the watchdog’s sights, leading to better standards of conduct, it said.

The Swiss National Bank remains skeptical about buying bitcoins, Chairman Thomas Jordan said on Friday, despite calls from campaigners to change the law and allow cyptocurrencies to be added to its currency reserves, Reuters reported. "We have not yet decided that we want to invest in bitcoin. Actually for good reasons," Jordan told the central bank's AGM in Bern. "Currency reserves are international payments. They have to be liquid. They have to be sustainable.

Russia kept interest rates unchanged on Friday, shifting toward more cautious guidance as inflation risks from a persistently tight labor market and growing consumer spending limit the central bank’s options, Bloomberg News reported. For the third meeting in a row, policymakers left their key rate at 16%, in line with the unanimous forecasts of economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

HSBC Holdings Plc successfully fought off a London court claim brought by a group of investors in a £1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) lawsuit over tax breaks linked to Walt Disney Co. film financing, Bloomberg News reported. The bank faced allegations that it misled investors over the Eclipse Partnerships, which touted opportunities to back films like Pirates of the Caribbean 2. HSBC’s private bank helped promote the film financing program that was challenged by tax authorities and turned out be worthless, lawyers for the investor group said previously.