E.ON sinks into red on nuclear shutdown

German utility E.ON has lost €1.49 billion (£1.3bn) in the second quarter because of a government decision to shut down nuclear plants early after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.

The company said 9,000 to 11,000 jobs were at risk and a final decision would be made this autumn. The net loss compares with a profit of €1.72bn a year ago.