News Headlines - 14 November 2018

▽Brexit deal: Theresa May's cabinet approves EU withdrawal agreement | The Independent

Theresa May’s cabinet has approved the draft Brexit deal struck by British and EU negotiators paving the way for a critical Brussels summit to rubber stamp it this month.
The prime minister made the announcement on the steps of Downing Street after a marathon five-hour meeting with her most senior frontbenchers... But despite cabinet approval bolstering Ms May, there was increasing speculation in Westminster of a leadership challenge to be launched by Tory backbenchers angry about concessions made in the draft plan.

▽US Condemns ‘Illegal Elections’ in Russia-Controlled Eastern Ukraine

The United States issued a scathing condemnation of the elections held on Nov. 11 in the eastern region of Ukraine occupied by Russia, calling it an attempt by Moscow to legitimize its proxies... The member states of the European Union and Canada also condemned the elections as illegal and in violation of a ceasefire agreed to in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, in 2015.

▽Putin and Abe Agree to Speed Up Talks Over Disputed Islands - Bloomberg

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to accelerate talks on resolving a dispute over four islands that has prevented their countries from sealing a peace treaty since World War II.
The two leaders affirmed at a meeting Wednesday in Singapore that a 1956 declaration under which the Soviet Union agreed to return two islands after the conclusion of a peace treaty with Japan will form the basis for the negotiations, Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters.

▽Japan's SoftBank steps closer to transformation with mammoth mobile IPO | Reuters

SoftBank Group Corp has won approval to conduct a 2.4 trillion yen ($21.04 billion) initial public offering (IPO) of its domestic telecoms business, in a deal that will seal the group’s transformation into a top global technology investor.

▽Talent agency managing K-pop group BTS apologizes over A-bomb T-shirt | The Japan Times

The talent agency that represents K-pop group BTS on Tuesday apologized over one of its members wearing an offensive T-shirt that depicted an atomic bomb exploding over Japan, and other members having earlier worn hats that carried the Nazi guard insignia.