The Traderszone Network

Shares of BHP Billiton rise Friday after the mining heavyweight said it’s looking to slim down its assets.
read more

As Scotland and Catalonia get ready to vote on independence, the current election campaign in Sweden offers an object lesson in how people in small-country democracies have greater control over their lives.
read more

Dozens of heavy Russian military vehicles mass near border with Ukraine, as Moscow and Kiev struggle to agree on aid convoy.

All but the biggest U.S. banks could see relief from some financial reforms after the November elections even if control of the U.S. Congress remains divided between Democrats and Republicans.     Post-election committee leadership changes and growing momentum behind bipartisan fixes may lead to tweaks to the 2010 Dodd-Frank law for the smallest community banks, larger firms such as PNC Financial Services (PNC.N) of Pittsburgh and Regions Financial (RF.N) of Birmingham, Alabama, and insurers, lobbyists and congressional staffers said.

read more

While Canada’s rail operators have nearly recovered, many U.S. operators lag far behind. The concerns are sharpest in the U.S. Farm Belt, with lawmakers fearful that the biggest crops on record may be slow to reach markets or could even rot.     “It’s like a sinking ship – you’re bailing out at one end, but it’s coming in the other end just as fast, if not faster,” said Citigroup Global Markets transportation analyst Christian Wetherbee.     Performance fell behind as loads grew: between April and June, U.S.

read more

The EU hopes to build a “support group” with Middle Eastern countries, to help Iraq stave off the threat from Islamic State fighters.

China’s recent anti-monopoly campaign may be less about targeting foreign companies than combating another potential threat: inequality.