In the near future, the “greenness” of a gadget will have a big influence on whether consumers will buy it, suggests research published as CES begins. Consumers will soon look for more information about the environmental impact of a gadget and how it was made. Published by the Consumer...

Amid a dispute over tax cuts, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition has prepared the groundwork for a new economic stimulus package designed to protect Germany from recession. A key element of the talks between Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and her Social Democrat (SPD) partners was how to...

As currencies go, the euro is still in short trousers. But where once it was dwarfed by the powerful pound, now the two currencies are rubbing shoulders. Ten years on since its birth, the euro is the strongest it has ever been. A year ago, a pound would have...

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) economist has criticised the UK’s 2.5-percentage-point cut in spending taxes. Olivier Blanchard, the IMF’s chief economist, said that the temporary cut in VAT would not significantly influence shoppers’ behaviour. In an interview with French newspaper Le Monde, Mr Blanchard said he did not think...