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France and Germany slash bankers some Brexit slack

Just what does a no-deal Brexit look like? Everyone is bracing for it – some even talk of stockpiling food and medicines – but nobody quite knows what the consequences of driving off the cliff-edge would be. As UK Prime Minister Theresa May uses that fear of the unknown to prod lawmakers into approving her imperfect but take-it-or-leave-it deal, Paris ...

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The right ‘and wrong’ way to deal with Nord Stream 2

The construction of Nord Stream 2 — a pipeline for delivering natural gas from Russia to Germany — could hardly have come at a worse time. The United States and Europe are already feuding over trade, defense spending. Now, the US opposition to the pipeline sets the scene for another falling out. To be clear, the US is right to ...

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Putin is throwing his weight behind the euro

Russia is preparing to sell bonds denominated in euros for the first time since 2013. Despite the recent drop in oil prices, it has a budget surplus and doesn’t really need to borrow; the bond placement is a test of the ‘dedollarisarion’ program, put in place by President Vladimir Putin this year. If the test and the plan are successful, ...

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