By William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) - Most British companies will implement their plans for coping with a disruptive Brexit by December if there is no clarity by then on how Britain will leave the European Union, a survey by a major employers group showed. The Confederation of British Industry said its findings showed how the lack of a breakthrough in negotiations between London and Brussels was endangering British jobs, investment and economic growth. "Businesses have displayed remarkable resilience since the referendum, but patience is now threadbare," CBI Director General Carolyn Fairbairn said. "Negotiators must secure the withdrawal agreement before December to unlock a transition period. The message to politicians on all sides is: 'your actions will echo through generations'," she said in a statement. The CBI has urged Britain to keep as close a relationship as possible with the EU after Brexit in March next year but British Prime Minister Theresa May has ruled out its favoured … [Read more...] about UK firms near point of no return for Brexit contingency plans, CBI warns
Brazil’s Bolsonaro does not rule out retaining central bank chief Goldfajn
By Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Carolina Mandl SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's presidential front-runner Jair Bolsonaro said on Saturday he does not rule out keeping acclaimed central bank chief Ilan Goldfajn in the job, on a day that thousands took to the streets of major cities to protest against the far-right candidate. "I am not sure if he will be kept but what is working should be kept," Bolsonaro told journalists in Rio when asked about Goldfajn's future. At the helm of the central bank since June 2016, Goldfajn has kept a tight lid on inflation and was considered the best central banker by The Banker magazine for taming inflation in Latin America's largest economy. Goldfajn is preparing to step down by the end of the year, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. As the Brazilian central bank does not have full institutional independence, incoming presidents typically replace its top official, creating political risk for monetary policy. President Michel Temer will leave office on Jan. 1. … [Read more...] about Brazil’s Bolsonaro does not rule out retaining central bank chief Goldfajn
Polish regional vote a test for eurosceptic PiS government
By Pawel Florkiewicz and Pawel Sobczak WARSAW (Reuters) - Poles vote in a regional election on Sunday with gains expected for the ruling eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party, whose nationalist rhetoric and institutional reforms have fuelled a deepening rift with the European Union. PiS swept into power in 2015 on a promise of voter-pleasing welfare bumps, social conservatism and more state say in the economy. The party remains broadly popular, despite accusations at home and abroad of a shift towards authoritarian rule. The election is part of a larger struggle over Europe's future, as Brexit and Hungary's Viktor Orban, a PiS ally, shake up the European Union and right-wing parties make gains across the continent. While it dominates national politics, PiS controls a small minority of city halls, and has a majority in only one provincial assembly out of 16. If successful in gaining seats, PiS will have better access to local funding, a factor which could affect parliamentary … [Read more...] about Polish regional vote a test for eurosceptic PiS government
Israel delays eviction of West Bank Bedouin village
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday postponed the forced eviction of a Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank, a government official said. The fate of Khan al-Ahmar has drawn international concern after Israel said it planned to raze the village, a ramshackle camp housing 180 residents. Its residents, backed by foreign activists who have gathered at the site, have been waiting for bulldozers to move in at any time after an Oct. 1 deadline from Israel for the villagers to demolish their own homes expired. "We will stay alert and be ready to face the raid until news (of the delay) is confirmed," said Walid Assaf, a Palestinian Authority minister who is in charge of the settlements file. The expulsion plan had included relocation to an area about 12 km (seven miles) away next to a landfill. But an official in Netanyahu's office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said an alternative relocation plan was being looked at, in coordination with … [Read more...] about Israel delays eviction of West Bank Bedouin village
Germany’s Scholz wants global tax floor to stop evasion
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Finance Minister Olaf Scholz has proposed a global minimum rate of corporation tax coupled with tougher measures to prevent tax evaders from stashing their profits in tax havens, newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported. In a guest article for the Sunday paper, extracts from which were made available on Saturday, Scholz fleshed out proposals that he was considering jointly with France to make it harder for international firms to evade tax. Both countries are seeking ways to ensure that firms like Amazon <AMZN.O>, Apple <AAPL.O> and Google <GOOGL.O> pay domestic taxes in proportion to the profits they earn in Europe's largest markets, though attempts to harmonise tax rates across the European Union have met stiff resistance from lower-tax members like Ireland. "We need a worldwide minimum tax level that no state may go below," Scholz said in the article, adding that any such rules would need to be accompanied by measures to make it harder to move … [Read more...] about Germany’s Scholz wants global tax floor to stop evasion