14/04 – Today’s headlines from across the EU

EUROPEAN HEADLINES

FT – Hong Kong market rally starts to reshape global league table. China Construction Bank leaps JP Morgan in size. Wary mainland investors in shift.

WJSE – EU oddity: interest paid to borrowers. Negative interest rates in Europe have created a previously inconceivable problem for some banks: they may soon have to pay interest to customers who borrow from them.

INYT – Ageing in Ukraine, without a safety net. Government’s isolation of rebel areas blocks medicine and pensions.

FRANCE

Le Figaro – Intelligence: a dangerous law? The draft law examined at the Assembly deeply modifies the inner workings of French secret services.

LesEchos – What the new health law will change for the French. Before the end of 2017, patients will be exempted from paying an advance on fees for their consultation. In one year, every cigarette packages sold at the tobacconist will have to be plain packets without logos.

GERMANY

Frankfurter Allgemeine – President Gauck honours Günter Grass’ work as “Mirror of our country.” Germany mourns the deceased Literature Nobel prize winner who was also much appreciated abroad.

Suddeutsche Zeitung – Eloquent, polemical, outstanding. The Nobel prize winner Günter Grass shaped German post-war literature like no other author. As a writer he became a public authority and a voice of Germany.

ITALY

La Republica – Tax authorities: less one-off operations and more banking supervision. Social security institute: the Fornero law must change and allow more flexibility in pension schemes. The director of Italian social security system INPS, Rossella Orlandi, is calling for more banking supervision.

Il Sole 24 Ore – Dollar trades near 12-year high against the euro. As dollar’s come back continues, euro tumbles towards $1,05.

POLAND

Gazeta – SKOK in the Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors will investigate the legality of asset transfers made by the SKOK insurance company from its saving foundation to a company owned by PiS senator Grzegorz Bierecki.

SPAIN

El Pais – The PSOE postpones the debate on Pedro Sanchez’s leadership. The party leaders think that they have to wait for the municipal election. Diaz insists to remain neutral.

Expansion – El Corte Inglés negotiates to reduce the cost of its debt. It wants to lower its interest rate and to extend the term of a 3.55bn loan.

The Times – Right to buy for 1.3m families. Tory strategists target voters in key marginal after Labour comes under fire over economy.

The Guardian – “End subsidy on fossil fuels now.” World Bank chief calls for immediate action for the sake of poor countries.