U.K. and EU to Step Up Brexit Talks as Parliament Showdown Looms

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s move to suspend parliament for up to five weeks ahead of the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline was not overruled by a Scottish judge this morning.
• Despite the setback, lawmakers are confident that they have sufficient time to block the U.K. leaving the European Union without a deal.
• There was more evidence of the damage the uncertainty over the future is doing to the British economy, with consumer confidence at a six-year trough and the lowest business optimism since 2011.

(Source: Bloomberg)