There’s a hard truth to understand for the many Catalans who intend to vote for independence on October 1: Regardless of the legality of their vote, its result can only stand if they are ready to fight for it — and if they can win in a violent conflict. As things stand before the independence referendum, Catalonia and Spain are ...

Bloomberg Australia’s four largest banks have scrapped cash withdrawal charges for all users, as the banking industry tries to salvage its reputation after a series of scandals. Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the nation’s biggest lender, said on Sunday it would immediately remove the A$2 ($1.60) fee for all users of its 3,400 branded automated teller machines across the country. Westpac ...

Bloomberg Bankers advising the Federal Reserve Board said a lack of follow through in the Trump administration’s economic agenda has resulted in slowing credit demand despite high levels of sentiment. “The post-election expectation was that the gain in confidence and financial market deregulation would spur credit creation,” according to minutes released by the Federal Reserve Board of its Sept. 8 ...