A new competition to encourage businesses to be kinder to the environment has been launched by the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business.

The aim of the Sustainable Enterprise Award is to recognise, promote and reward business organisations that have made a significant contribution to the different aspects of sustainable development. 

Arbuthnot Banking Group said on Thursday it has drawn up plans to ensure uninterrupted payments for its customers in the European Union through the pan-European payments system SEPA, when Britain leaves the 28-member bloc.

A group of intruders broke into North Korea's embassy in Madrid and subsequently contacted the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation to offer to share information they had obtained, according to a case in Spain's High Court.

Spain's Interior Ministry had previously said police were investigating an incident at the embassy, but gave no details except to say that a North Korean citizen had been injured and that no one had filed a complaint.

Günther Oettinger, the European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources, has called for the European Union to veto a deal between Italy and China.

Italy signed a "non-binding" protocol on Saturday with China, agreeing to take part in China's new "silk road". The trading pathway is set to transport goods and services between China and Europe.

Air Malta reported an operating profit of €1.2 million for the year ended March 2018, in stark contrast to the financial results last year, when it reported a €10.8 million loss.

Taking into account non-recurring items, including the payment of the early retirement schemes and the gain on the disposal of landing rights, the airline registered a profit of €15.7 million.

Optimism about the business outlook among Britain's financial services firms has fallen at its fastest rate since the 2008 financial crisis amid concerns about Britain's exit from the European Union, a survey showed on Monday.

Business volumes among the 84 top financial firms polled have also fallen at their fastest rate since September 2012, the survey by the Confederation of British Industry and accounting firm PwC showed.

 If Ministers do not back the deal then the EU will agree to a shorter delay until April 12.

EU Council President Donald Tusk wrote in a Tweet the "EU27 responds to UK requests in a positive spirit".

until 22 May if MPs approve withdrawal deal next week, 12 April if not

The father of a 13-year-old Egyptian boy who called the police aboard the school bus that was hijacked and later set ablaze by a Senegalese bus driver said on Thursday he would like to see his son get Italian citizenship.

 Foxconn Ventures Holdco has sold $398.4 million (£302 million) worth of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's shares, in a block trade in the open market managed by Goldman Sachs Group Inc, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Foxconn sold 2.2 million Alibaba shares on Wednesday at $181.10 per share, the sources said, asking not to be identified ahead of any official announcement.

European shares retreated further from five-month highs on Thursday ahead of a European Central Bank meeting that is expected to slash growth forecasts and hint at a new round of ultra-cheap loans for euro zone banks.

Euro-zone banks fell as some profit taking kicked in following gains made in anticipation of the ECB loan scheme, while the export-oriented auto sector continued to slide on worries over the sector's prospects amid slowing Chinese growth.

 European Union governments adopted a broadened blacklist of tax havens on Tuesday, adding the United Arab Emirates and British and Dutch overseas territories in a revamp that tripled the number of listed jurisdictions.

The 28-nation EU set up the blacklist in December 2017 after revelations of widespread tax avoidance schemes used by corporations and wealthy individuals to lower their tax bills.