International

• Saturday, November 3rd 2018 - 08:01 UTC

  Booming US economy sees September trade deficit reach it highest in seven months

  

  A hungry American economy powered by a strong U.S. dollar saw record imports in September, driving the U.S. trade deficit to its highest level in seven months, the government reported on Friday.

• Saturday, November 3rd 2018 - 07:47 UTC

  Argentina, Japan and EU supporting US drive for greater transparency at WTO

  

  Argentina, Costa Rica, Japan and the European Union are supporting a U.S. drive to enforce greater transparency and discipline at the World Trade Organization, an updated proposal published by the WTO showed on Friday.

• Saturday, November 3rd 2018 - 06:46 UTC

  French Overseas Territory New Caledonia votes on independence referendum on Sunday

  

  New Caledonia, an idyllic French Overseas Territory island territory in the southwestern Pacific, votes Sunday on whether to seek full independence from Paris, 18,000 km away Thirty years in the making, Sunday’s referendum will call 174,154 voters to the polls to test the appeal of remaining a part of France, a vector of state subsidies but also, some feel, a kind of neglect.

• Friday, November 2nd 2018 - 08:56 UTC

  Saudi Crown Prince told US, murdered writer Khashoggi was a dangerous Islamist

  

  Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the US he considered murdered writer Jamal Khashoggi to be a dangerous Islamist, media reports say. Prince Mohammed reportedly said this in a phone call with the White House after Khashoggi disappeared but before Saudi Arabia admitted killing him.

• Friday, November 2nd 2018 - 08:51 UTC

  US justice indicts Chinese individuals and companies for stealing US companies trade secrets

  

  US justice department has indicted three individuals and two companies based in China and Taiwan for allegedly stealing a US company's trade secrets. This is the fourth economic espionage case the department has brought against Chinese-based companies and individuals since September.

• Friday, November 2nd 2018 - 08:31 UTC

  Scotland remains strongly Remain and supports vote on a final Brexit deal

  

  Almost two-thirds of Scots believe a second vote on Brexit would result in the UK voting to stay in the European Union, a new poll has found. Research by Survation found 64% found a so-called People’s Vote would reverse the result of the 2016 referendum.

• Friday, November 2nd 2018 - 08:26 UTC

  Raab and Brexit: Westminster accuses the minister of a “messy-U-turn”

  

  There was confusion in Westminster over how close an overall Brexit deal may be after Dominic Raab hinted a deal could be done within weeks. Mr. Raab was accused of a “messy U-turn” after he indicated he expected an EU withdrawal deal finalized by November 21, only for his department to later insist there was no set date.

• Friday, November 2nd 2018 - 08:18 UTC

  Brussels and London play down speculation about a breakthrough in Brexit talks

  

  Brussels and Downing Street have played down speculation about a breakthrough in Brexit talks. Reports that a Brexit deal could safeguard the City’s access to European Union markets led to an increase in the value of sterling.

• Friday, November 2nd 2018 - 08:13 UTC

  Bank of England leaves rates unchanged but warns on a no-deal Brexit scenario

  

  Bank of England governor Mark Carney has warned interest rates could rise in the event of a no-deal Brexit if a cliff-edge withdrawal sends the pound into free fall. Mr. Carney said there are scenarios where policy “might need to be tightened in the event of a no deal, no transition Brexit”, should a plunge in the value of the pound cause inflation to surge and impact UK production.

• Friday, November 2nd 2018 - 07:47 UTC

  Two ex Goldman Sachs bankers charged in connection to fraudulent Malaysian fund

  

  Two former Goldman Sachs investment bankers were charged on Thursday with helping to raise money for a Malaysian investment fund that has lost US$ 4 billion, according to United States federal prosecutors. Tim Leissner, 48, and Roger Ng, 51, were charged in a three-count criminal indictment in Brooklyn federal court on Thursday.