Political News
Iraqi government calls on BP to help develop Kirkuk's oilfields
Iraqi government officials urged oil giant BP to assist in developing oilfields in the disputed city of Kirkuk on Wednesday after Iraqi troops and state-sanctioned militiamen stormed through the area on Sunday.
Spain's stance hardens as final deadline for Catalonia approaches
The Spanish government does not appear to be wavering in its ultimatum to Catalan separatists, as Mariano Rajoy’s Thursday deadline for clarification on the independence issue draws near.
Government to crack down on 'unfair' landlord charges
A government proposal aimed at cracking down on "overpriced" service charges and "unfair" costs thrust onto renters and leaseholders in England was unveiled by Communities Secretary Sajid Javid on Wednesday.
Government forced to scrap Universal Credit line charges
The UK government has been forced into scrapping a controversial 55p-per-minute charge on the Universal Credit helpline.
Xi hails 'new era' for China at opening of Communist Party congress
Chinese president Xi Jinping opened the Communist Party Congress with a three-hour speech on Wednesday in which he pledged to lead the country into a "new era", lowering trade barriers and deepening financial sector reforms.