The UK and EU are on the verge of striking a Brexit deal. With just two weeks left until Britain's planned exit from the EU, last-minute talks to try and seal an agreement are under way. Officials say differences over the terms of the split have narrowed, but some obstacles remain. Sibel Karkus has more. For on this we were joined by Economist Steve Keen in Amsterdam.

#IrishBoarder #Brexit #Negotiations

State prosecutors in New York have filed criminal charges against Turkey's state-owned Halkbank. It's accused of flouting US sanctions on Iran between 2013 and 2016. Prosecutors allege the bank helped Tehran earn $20 billion from oil sales using gold instead of US dollars. For more analysis on the Halkbank case – we spoke to Mehmet Akif Isik - chairman of Turkish consultancy firm Corintco.

#HalkBank #USsanctions #Iran

The nightmare for many gamers is over. Millions of 'Fortnite' fans panicked on Sunday, when their favourite game went dark for nearly two days, leaving players with nothing to do but stare at a black hole on their screens. Turns out it was just the most dramatic server maintenance and PR stunt in video gaming history. The game's now back online with a new look.

#Fortnite #VirtualApocolypse #Gaming

Some of the world's best tomatoes grow on Italian farms. But the industry's reputation has been tarnished by its reliance on African migrants, who work under conditions that have been described as modern-day slavery. As Paolo Montecillo reports, one farmer is planting the seeds for a nationwide cleanup.

#WorkerConditions #Hydroponics #SlaveLabour

Millions of Mozambicans have voted in a general election, that pit the ruling Frelimo party against opposition Renamo. In August, the two parties agreed on a ceasefire to end decades of fighting. Frelimo has won every election since Mozambique's independence in 1975. And despite a debt scandal that sparked an economic crisis, Frelimo is expected to extend its 44-year rule. Laila Humairah reports.

#Nyusi #MozambiqueElections #Frelimo #Renamo

After days of Twitter threats... the United States has followed through with some action and imposed economic sanctions on Turkey. Washington has halted a 100 billion dollar trade deal being negotiated with Ankara... and ordered tariffs on Turkish steel to be increased from 25 to 50 per cent. Senior Turkish government officials have also been sanctioned. US President Donald Trump said he was "fully prepared to swiftly destroy Turkey's economy" in response to what he called "Turkey's destabilising actions in northeast Syria." We asked the head of the Turkish Investment Office, Arda Ermut, how these sanctions could affect the country's investment outlook.

#USsanctions #Turkey #Steel

The International Monetary Fund has made the fifth-straight cut to its economic outlook for this year. It's warned global growth will fall to its slowest rate since the financial crisis. The IMF says it expects the world economy to grow three percent in 2019, down from 3.6 percent last year. It blamed trade tensions between the world's largest economies for the global slowdown. The lender also predicted growth to pick up to 3.4 percent next year. For more on this, we spoke to Jagruti Dave in Washington.

#IMF #GrowthForecasts #GlobalEconomy

Social media giant Facebook is pushing ahead with plans to launch a digital currency despite an exodus of top firms from its Libra project. It's set up a 21 member council - including Uber and Spotify - to launch the coin by next year. But banking regulators still have serious concerns. Mobin Nasir reports. For more we were joined by Santosh Rao – He’s Head of Research at Manhattan Venture Partners.

#Facebook #Libra #Crypto

Fashion Week wrapped up here in Istanbul over the weekend, with ethical fashion in the spotlight. One of the most anticipated shows was that of Mehtap Elaidi. Sibel Karkus met the designer who says going green means more than just using sustainable fabrics.

#TurkeyFashion #EthicalFashion #EcoFibers

The landlocked African kingdom of Lesotho legalised the cultivation of marijuana for medicinal purposes in 2017. It was seen as a boon by small-scale farmers, who'd been growing the crop for years. But as Paolo Montecillo reports, many still rely on illegally smuggling their harvests out of the country, and the government may be to blame.

#MedicalMarijuana #Lesotho #SmallScaleFarmers