Wednesday 31 October 2018

Wednesday Morning Briefing: Climate crisis beneath the waves

Highlights

Gridlock, Blue Sweep or Red Repeat? Wall Street is closely watching the U.S. midterm Congressional elections next week, as policy decisions that could sway the economy, corporate decision-making and consumer spending hinge on the results.

If Democrats win control of the House of Representatives in next week’s elections the number of bills with a chance of passing falls dramatically. But two areas of general agreement stand out as having a high potential of successful legislation: lowering prescription drug prices and new regulations to protect online privacy. Follow the latest updates on the Midterms.

Ilhan Omar fled civil war in Somalia and spent four years of her childhood in a refugee camp in Kenya. Now she is poised to win a seat in the U.S. Congress, taking on a president who has tried to prevent people like her from coming to America.

World

Reuters spent over a year scouring ocean data to map fish migration. What we found has major implications for humans as well as sea creatures. Explore 'Ocean Shock.'

Indonesian search and rescue workers believe they have found the fuselage of a Lion Air passenger jet that crashed with 189 people on board, and are also trying to confirm the origin of an underwater “ping” signal, officials say.

Russia opened an investigation into suspected terrorism after a 17-year-old youth blew himself up in the lobby of an office belonging to Russia’s Federal Security Service in the north of the country.

Commentary: Is the U.S. still a real democracy, asks Lincoln Mitchell, a writer and teacher in Columbia University's Political Science Department. As Americans prepare to vote in the pivotal Nov. 6 midterm congressional elections, Republican efforts to increase the penalties for protest or make it harder for people - especially African-Americans - to go to the polls have put the issue of democracy itself on the ballot "to an extent that is unprecedented in the post-Civil Rights era."

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Two @Reuters journalists have been imprisoned in Myanmar for 324 days. See full coverage: https://reut.rs/2Qc7QFT

10:43 AM - 31 Oct 2018

Business

Early bitcoin investors count winnings after volatile decade

One bitcoin is now worth around $6,200. That is a steep 70 percent fall from its all-time high of near $20,000 in December last year, hurt by a more intense regulatory scrutiny around the world, as well as the rise of cryptocurrency crime including hacking, but a substantial boost for any early investors who bet on it.

5 min read

Shares bounce as bulls fight back at end of brutal October

Stock markets bounced higher on Wednesday, bringing some relief after a brutal October in which equities have suffered one of their worst drops in a decade and spooked investor confidence.

4 Min Read

Honda and GAC Group to build $430 million Chinese plant for new-energy cars

Honda’s joint venture with GAC will invest 3.27 billion yuan ($469 million) in new-energy vehicle production in China, GAC said in a stock exchange filing.

2 min read

Top Stories on Reuters TV

Facebook user growth slows but earnings beat

Aging Apple Macs, iPads get a facelift