Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as Canada says UK was unwilling to give access to agricultural productsFull story: UK suspends trade talks with CanadaThe UK’s competition regulator has announced a formal investigation into the merger between Vodafone UK and Three that would create the biggest mobile operator in the country.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it would look at the potential impact the proposed deal could have on competition for consumers and businesses.This deal would bring together two of the major players in the UK telecommunications market, which is critical to millions of everyday customers, businesses and the wider economy. The CMA will assess how this tie-up between rival networks could impact competition before deciding next steps.We now have 40 working days to complete this formal Phase 1 investigation, before publishing our findings and any next steps.ECB President Lagarde struck a more dovish tone than expected, which led investors to dial up the chance of a rate cut as soon as April. So with hopes for a soft landing in the ascendancy, and yet more validation for near-term rate cuts, there was a significant cross-asset rally that saw equities and bonds post gains on both sides of the Atlantic. Continue reading...