Economy

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:33 UTC

  Irish backstop is “part and parcel” of the UK's Brexit deal and stands as it is

  

  The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier says the Irish backstop is “part and parcel” of the UK's Brexit deal and will not be renegotiated. Speaking at the European Parliament, Mr Barnier said it was a “realistic solution” to preventing a hard border.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:30 UTC

  UK car industry on “red alert”: Brexit uncertainty had done enormous damage

  

  Investment in the UK car sector almost halved last year and output tumbled as Brexit fears put firms on “red alert”, the industry's trade body said. Inward investment fell 46.5% to £588.6m last year from £1.1bn in 2017, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) says.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:28 UTC

  Barclays is transferring €190bn of assets from London to Dublin

  

  Barclays is moving €190bn (£166bn) of assets to Dublin because it “cannot wait any longer” to implement its Brexit contingency plan. The High Court, which has approved the move, says the move involves 5,000 clients. However, few jobs in London are expected to be affected.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:25 UTC

  Washington warns traders not to deal with gold or oil “stolen from the Venezuelan people”

  

  The White House warned traders on Wednesday not to deal in Venezuelan gold or oil following its imposition of stiff sanctions aimed at forcing socialist President Nicolas Maduro from power.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:22 UTC

  German economy threatened by a chaotic Brexit, warns Berlin's economy minister

  

  The clouds darkened over Europe's slowing economy on Wednesday as the German government slashed its growth forecast and said concerns about a chaotic Brexit and trade tensions were holding back the continent's powerhouse. Germany's Economy Ministry said Wednesday it was cutting its 2018 forecast to 1% from 1.8% in its previous outlook issued last fall.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:18 UTC

  Poland and Germany inclined to strike a renewed Brexit deal with Britain

  

  The Polish Prime Minister and senior German politicians have urged Brussels to strike a Brexit deal with Britain in the first sign of divisions within the European Union over its blanket opposition to offering fresh concessions to Theresa May.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:15 UTC

  Federal Reserve adopts “wait and see” policy. Economy facing contradictory picture of crosscurrents, says Powell

  

  The Federal Reserve on Wednesday signaled its three-year-drive to tighten monetary policy may be at an end amid a suddenly cloudy outlook for the U.S. economy due to global headwinds and impasses over trade and government budget negotiations.

• Wednesday, January 30th 2019 - 10:01 UTC

  Guaidó plans to name new boards of directors at PDVSA and Citgo

  

  The President of Venezuela’s opposition-dominated National Assembly Juan Guaido will announce new boards of directors for state oil company PDVSA and its U.S. business, Citgo, according to opposition leader sources.

• Wednesday, January 30th 2019 - 09:59 UTC

  Brazil's federal debt increased 8.9% last year and is estimated to rise 11% in 2019

  

  Brazil’s federal debt rose to 3.88 trillion Reais ($1.03 trillion) in December, up 8.9% from 3.56 trillion Reais a year earlier, and is expected to rise further this year, the Brazilian Treasury said. The Treasury predicts public debt this year will swell to somewhere between 4.1 trillion and 4.3 trillion Reais, the upper end of which would represent an increase of almost 11%, it outlined in its annual financing plan.

• Wednesday, January 30th 2019 - 09:46 UTC

  Russia and China criticize US sanctions on Venezuela: “they undermine confidence in the international financial system”

  

  Russia and China strongly criticized U.S. sanctions placed on Venezuela, with the former pledging to support the beleaguered President Nicolas Maduro. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday the sanctions completely undermined confidence in an international financial system that is dominated by the U.S., Russian news agency Interfax reported.