Principal content
EU to cut cross-border payment fees
European consumers and businesses could save more than €28bn a year from the cost of cross-border transactions after European Union finance ministers backed a law to streamline and unify the bloc’s national payment regimes.
Siemens woes deepen as executive arrested
Latest setback for the engineering group
UK to ease hedge fund rules
Sector opens up to retail investors
Related content and features
Prodi survives key foreign policy vote
Relies on rightwingers to avoid defeat
UK to reveal GPS data in Iran clash
Beckett to make statement to parliament
German business confidence surges
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BP’s Russia venture outbid
Air Berlin to begin flights to New York
Low-cost carrier acquires rival LTU
Lennar warns of slow start to spring sales
Homebuilder’s earnings down 74%
Amber light on EU food labelling
Industry given two more years to regulate itself
Lex
Federal Reserve
Is the Fed happy with inflation around 2 per cent rather than feeling under serious pressure to hit the 1.5 per cent mid-point?
Markets
Geopolitical risks

The most alarming geopolitical risk that could upset all bullish scenarios is an extension of the Iraq conflict to Iran, with all its implications, writes John Authers.
Comment
Pain in Spain will follow years of economic gain

Spain is getting closer the point at which its remarkable property-related borrowing and construction booms will end, writes Martin Wolf.