November 18, 2013
Brazil banker Henrique Pizzolato flees to escape jail
An ex-director of the Brazilian state-run bank Banco do Brasil who has been convicted in a major corruption trial has fled the country to avoid jail. Henrique Pizzolato, who also has an Italian passport, said in a letter he had fled to seek a fair…
November 18, 2013
JP Morgan agrees to $4.5bn mortgage settlement
US investment bank JP Morgan has agreed to pay $4.5bn (£2.8bn) to investors who lost money on mortgage-related securities during the financial crisis. The settlement is with 21 major institutional investors. Mortgage-related investments were a…
November 18, 2013
Boeing leads order books race in Dubai
Airlines in the Gulf have placed a number of high-value plane orders on the first day of the Dubai Air Show, with US giant Boeing a major winner. Dubai-based Emirates airline placed an order for 150 of Boeing's new 777 mini-jumbos, in a $76bn…
November 18, 2013
Government to sell 20% in Air New Zealand
New Zealand's government is to sell a 20% stake in national carrier Air New Zealand, leaving it with a 53% holding. Trading in the airline's shares was halted on Monday following the government's announcement. Based on the last trading price of…
November 18, 2013
EU warns Spain and Italy over their budget
The European Commission, the European Union's executive arm, has warned Spain and Italy that their draft budgets for 2014 may not comply with new debt and deficit rules. It also said French and Dutch plans only just passed muster. Non-complying…
November 18, 2013
EnQuest cleared to develop £4bn Kraken oil field
A £4bn investment in a major oil field off Shetland has been given the go-ahead. The Kraken field, which is estimated to contain nearly 140m barrels of oil, is majority-owned by Aberdeen-based EnQuest. The construction phase of the project is…
November 18, 2013
Former President Wins Chilean Vote; Faces Runoff
Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet won nearly twice as many votes as her closest rival in Chile's presidential election Sunday, but she fell short of the outright majority needed to avoid a December 15 runoff. The moderate socialist had…
November 18, 2013
Aquino Vows to Stay in Typhoon-Hit Central Philippines
Philippine President Benigno Aquino has vowed to stay in the typhoon-battered center of the country until he is satisfied with efforts to help survivors of a devastating November 8 storm. Mr. Aquino made the pledge Sunday as he visited the hard-hit…
November 18, 2013
Syria Rebels Bomb Government Building, Kill 31 – Report
Syria monitors say rebels bombed a government building near Damascus on Sunday, killing 31. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the building was destroyed. A spokesman tells the French News Agency that three generals and a…
November 18, 2013
Hollande to Israel: France Will Keep Sanctions on Iran
French President Francois Hollande says his government will maintain sanctions and pressure against Iran until he is certain that it has renounced a suspected nuclear weapons program. Hollande made the pledge to Israeli leaders after arriving in…