German air traffic controllers have threatened to strike tomorrow, but their employers are seeking to block the action with a court injunction.

German air traffic controllers have threatened to strike tomorrow, but their employers are seeking to block the action with a court injunction.

German air traffic controllers have voted overwhelmingly for strikes in a pay dispute, raising the prospect of disruption over the summer holiday period.

TUI Travel led London’s blue chip share index into the red today as stocks suffered in cautious trading ahead of key forecasts from UK and US central banks.

Another UK power firm was poised for foreign ownership today after International Power agreed a merger with France’s GDF Suez.

One of the UK’s largest power stations was sold today to French merger partners Gaz de France (GdF) and Suez.

Italy’s Premier Silvio Berlusconi said today that the European Union should intervene in the planned French energy merger aimed at blocking a potential hostile bid from Italian energy company Enel.

Gaz de France and Suez today announced details of their hastily-arranged all-French merger, designed to create a new leading player in energy and environmental services – and fend off a bid for Suez by Italian power company Enel.

Talks begin today towards sealing a controversial merger deal between state-owned gas producer Gaz de France and utility company Suez that would create a world energy leader and block a hostile bid from Italy.

French utility Gaz de France SA said today there had been a “significant deterioration” in natural gas flows from Russia, after the price dispute which led to Moscow cutting off gas supplies to neighbouring Ukraine.

The FTSE 100 Index finished today back above the 5200 level as investors adopted a defiant mood after yesterday’s London bombings.

Rescue workers today called off a search for survivors under the rubble of an apartment building flattened by a gas explosion that killed at least 17 people.

ELECTRICITY workers cut power to a former French prime minister yesterday as part of a national day of action against government plans to partly privatise public utilities.

Electricity workers cut power to a former French prime minister today as part of a national day of action against government plans to partly privatise public utilities.

Gaz de France, the state-owned gas distributor, wants to sell shares on the stock market as soon as possible after its status is changed to a corporations, chief executive Pierre Gadonneix has said.

ISEQ-listed exploration company Tullow Oil said it started production on its Boulton H gas field in the UK North Sea on March 6, and that the initial output rate is almost 140 mln standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd).

French Finance Minister Francis Mer said the future privatisation of Electricite de France will be advantageous for the utility company, as it will keep it from running in to problems with the EU's anti-competition legislation.