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.

U.K. residential battery supplier GivEnergy Ltd has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators with the Insolvency and Companies list, the UK court handling cases relating to the insolvency of companies in England and Wales, ESS-News.com reported. The filing is a preliminary step under UK insolvency law that triggers a short moratorium, typically up to 10 business days. It protects the company from creditor enforcement while administrators are formally lined up or other action occurs.

The threat of higher inflation has recently gripped Europe, with a spike in prices and other economic effects of the war in Iran expected to hit the region, the New York Times reported. Already, natural gas prices in Europe, a major fuel importer, are around 40 percent higher than they were at the end of February, before the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. The annual inflation rate for the 21 countries that use the euro jumped to 2.5 percent in March, from 1.9 percent in February.

A celebrity-backed investment scheme could be wound up over £1.3 million of unpaid debts from Kevin Maxwell, The Times reported. Insolvency practitioners have raised concerns about the viability of a deal with creditors which Fortress Capital Partners reached in July. Edwin Kirker, of Kirker & Co, who was appointed to supervise the company voluntary arrangement (CVA), has warned of a series of alleged breaches, including the threatened removal of an independent director of Fortress.

Britain said on Tuesday it would cap interest rates on millions of student loans at 6% from September 2026, saying conflict ​in the Middle East risked pushing up inflation and sharply increasing borrowing costs ‌for graduates, Reuters reported. The student loan system in England and Wales has drawn criticism and Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in February he would look at ways to make it fairer. The government ​has been accused by some lawmakers, including in his own Labour Party, ​of ripping off graduates with inflated interest charges and unfavourable repayment ⁠conditions.