Tokyo/ AFP Business confidence among Japan’s largest manufacturers is at its lowest since Tokyo introduced measures to kick-start the struggling economy more than three years ago, a central bank survey showed in a report. The Bank of Japan’s closely watched Tankan report comes after data showing weak growth in the second quarter and as soft inflation and spending figures ...

  The key difficulty facing the U.K. as it leaves the European Union is easy to articulate: how to curb the free movement of people while maintaining vital trading relationships with its peers. It’s increasingly clear that two premises underpin the government’s position on the trade issue: first, that the other EU 27 members will realize there’s no economic benefit ...

  Within days of taking office, British Prime Minister Theresa May ruled out holding an early general election to seek a mandate of her own. But the strength of her Conservative Party’s polling — with leads of between six and 15 points in surveys conducted during September — has resulted in continued speculation. Indeed opposition parties have been preparing for ...