CPU cooler maker Scythe may be in deep trouble, as reports suggest the company’s EU division is potentially on the verge of shutting down, TomsHardware.com reported. According to German tech portal Computer Base, CPU coolers from the manufacturer have been in short supply. The primary reason given is that the company's EU division has run out of money and filed for insolvency. As noted by the Consumer Protection Forum, on April 17, 2025, the district court in Reinbek, Germany, issued a "provisional insolvency administration" for Scythe EU GmbH.

Business activity in Germany's private sector has contracted this month, hurt by service sector woes and trade-related uncertainty, although manufacturers are showing some resilience, a survey showed on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The HCOB German flash composite Purchasing Managers' Index, compiled by S&P Global, fell to 49.7 in April from 51.3 in March, its lowest point since December and back below the 50.0 threshold that separates growth from contraction.

Laszlo Bige, the owner of Hungarian fertilizer maker Nitrogenmuvek Zrt, ruled out using tangible assets as collateral in a standoff with creditors over extending a looming maturity date for its bonds, Bloomberg News reported. Talks between Nitrogenmuvek and holders of around 70% of the €200 million ($228 million) of bonds due in mid-May concluded last week with no deal. The creditor group had asked for tangible assets to be posted as collateral, as well as some sort of contribution from shareholders as part of the refinancing, Bloomberg reported.

A leading care association in the west is warning some residential homes may go under due to rising costs such as National Insurance (NI) and the national living wage, BBC.com reported. David Smallacombe, chief executive of not-for-profit organisation Care and Support West, says many care home operators will be forced to raise prices for vulnerable residents. He is calling on the government to exempt social care providers from the NI hike, as it already has for the public sector and NHS.

The volume of claims against bankrupt Estonian state-owned airline Nordica has risen sharply since bankruptcy was declared last fall, reaching €85 million, News.err.ee reported. Most of Nordica's assets consist of a claim against its subsidiary, Regional Jet. When the Harju County Court declared Nordic Aviation Group bankrupt at the end of January, claims were initially estimated at €34 million. By the end of March—the deadline for submitting claims — that figure had more than doubled.

Restart Energy One, a Romanian provider of renewable energy solutions with two bond issues listed at the Bucharest Exchange, announced in a note to investors that it is entering into a preventive arrangement to avoid insolvency, Romania-Insider.com reported. Its bonds were recently temporarily suspended from trading amid an investigation conducted by prosecutors involving the company's founder, Profit.ro reported. As of April 22, both bonds are again traded at the Bucharest Stock Exchange.

Greece’s prime minister on Tuesday announced 1 billion euros ($1.15 billion) in financial benefits for lower-income households and the public investment program, after the country became one of the few European Union members to post a budget surplus in 2024. Only six of the EU’s 27 member nations posted a surplus for 2024, figures released by Eurostat showed.

The Russian central bank will keep its benchmark rate on hold at 21% at a board meeting on April 25, all 25 analysts who took part in a Reuters poll predicted on Monday, as global economic turbulence adds to concerns about the state of the Russian economy. The government maintained its growth estimate for 2025 at 2.5%, a new set of forecasts showed on Monday. The government said it does not see a big risk of a global recession, but cut its estimate for the price of oil, Russia's main export, by 17%.

The Icelandic Film School is set for a fresh start under new leadership, as Rafmennt — the educational center of the Electrical Industry — has officially taken over its operations following the school’s bankruptcy in March, the Iceland Monitor reported. However, students will have to bid farewell to the school's longtime premises on Suðurlandsbraut. In a statement issued Wednesday, Rafmennt confirmed that it has purchased the school's name, trademark, equipment, and other assets from the bankruptcy estate.