Theresa May’s Northern Ireland minister has urged businesses in the region to back her Brexit deal, in defiance of objections from the Democratic Unionists who provide her parliamentary majority in Westminster.

Germany has imposed an entry ban on 18 Saudi citizens suspected of involvement in the killing of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last month.

Brazilian economist Roberto Castello Branco looks set to become chief executive of national oil company Petrobras in incoming president Jair Bolsonaro’s government.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have staved off the collapse of the government, convincing a key ally to stay in his coalition despite disagreements over how to handle threats from Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of UK business group CBI, said on Monday that companies were investing in preparing for a no deal Brexit rather than in new goods or products, and that investment was “flooding out” of the right areas like technology.

Russian prosecutors announced new criminal charges against UK-based financier William Browder on Monday, a new salvo amid ongoing rows over its bid to lead Interpol and a drive to introduce EU-wide sanctions against Moscow.

The Netherlands finance minister has said his government is “less than convinced” of the need to have a eurozone budget after France and Germany tabled a blueprint for a common spending pot for the single currency area.

Nissan has accused its former chief executive Carlos Ghosn of “significant” misconduct, including misusing company assets for personal use, and said its board would recommend he be removed as the carmaker’s chairman.

UK mid-cap engineer Diploma said operating profits rose 9 per cent to £85m in the year to September, citing benefits from a reduction in US corporate income tax rates.

Pharma industry leaders have hit out at the draft Brexit deal, complaining it fails to explain how patients will be protected on a raft of key issues including medicines safety, public health disasters and controlling infectious diseases.

EU governments will push Michel Barnier to boost areas on fisheries and security in the bloc’s future relationship text with the UK ahead of a final Brexit summit on Sunday.

The UK pound edged higher against major currencies early in the European trading session on Monday, after the EU’s chief negotiator proposed extending Britain’s transition out of the bloc, and as Theresa May fought to keep her deal — and her premiership — alive.

Outsourcer Mitie said on Monday it would sell its social housing business for up to £35m, a division that has been a squeeze on profit margins, to better focus on its core divisions.

New TSB chief executive appointed

TSB has appointed former Clydesdale Bank executive Debbie Crosbie as its new chief, as it looks for a fresh start after a disastrous IT move earlier this year led to months of turmoil and wiped out all its expected annual profits.

BHP has settled a long-running tax dispute with the Australian government over sales of raw materials funnelled through an offshore marketing hub.

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator has proposed extending Britain’s transition out of the bloc until as late as December 2022 in a move that could prolong free movement of people to the UK and big payments to Brussels beyond the next election. 

China has launched an anti-dumping probe into imports of Australian barley - accounting for more than two thirds of the latter’s annual exports of the grain. The decision comes after Canberra moved to expand its naval base on Manus island, off Papua New Guinea, in a bid to counter China’s growing influence in the region.

Tencent has corralled Singapore-based investee Sea to publish and distribute its online games in south-east Asia as the Chinese tech giant seeks to offset the damage from a freeze on new game approvals in the home market.

Thailand’s economy grew at a slower pace than forecast in the three months to the end of September as exports decelerated and the tourism sector was hit by a fall in Chinese visitors after a tour boat capsized, killing almost 50 people. 

Fallout from the latest signs of dysfunction in the US-China relationship, laid bare at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation over the weekend - which failed to issue a joint communiqué for the first time in its 29-year history - hit markets in the region unevenly, with Sydney listed stocks lower as other benchmarks mostly rose.

Shareholders in Fairfax Media have overwhelmingly backed a proposed A$2.2bn (US$1.6bn) buyout by Nine Entertainment, paving the way for the creation of Australia’s biggest listed media company. 

Japan’s trade flows started the fourth quarter on a down note as imports rose nearly 20 per cent from a year ago, easily outpacing exports and expanding the country’s trade deficit far more than expected.

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator has proposed extending Britain’s transition out of the bloc until as late as December 2022 in a move that could prolong free movement of people to the UK and big payments to Brussels beyond the next election.