Political News
UK airlines facing harsh post-Brexit rules - report
British airlines could face vastly restricted access to European Union airports after Brexit, according to leaked negotiation papers.
German minority coalition eyed as SDP offers Merkel's CDU olive branch
In a move that would unite Germany's two largest parties in another 'grand coalition' government, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has extended an olive branch to Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in hopes of breaking the political deadlock in Berlin and avoiding another election.
Iranian authorities give jailed British aid worker December court date
Iran informed jailed Iranian-British aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on Thursday that she would be appearing in front of a court in December to face accusations of spreading propaganda.
Hammond defends stamp duty cut for first-time buyers
Philip Hammond has defended his decision to cut stamp duty for first-time buyers after the government’s fiscal watchdog said the main beneficiaries would be existing homeowners.
Lebanon prime minister Hariri retracts resignation
Saad al-Hariri has revoked his resignation as Lebanon's prime minister, according to a local news report on Wednesday.
Former Zimbabwean vice-president Mnangagwa set to take over after exile
Zimbabwe’s former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to take over from the ousted Robert Mugabe after returning to the country following a period of exile.
Budget: Hammond targets first-time buyers as growth forecasts are cut
Philip Hammond scrapped stamp duty on almost all first-time property purchases as he sought to inject good news into his Budget after a series of cuts to the outlook for the economy.
Budget: Chancellor reveals 1.3% UK growth forecast for 2019, lower public debt
UK gross domestic product growth is expected to be even worse than expected in coming years due to lower productivity, public spending cuts and Brexit-related uncertainty, with growth expected to slow to just 1. 3% for two years from 2019.
UN tribunal convicts Ratko Mladic of Bosnian war genocide
Former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic has been convicted of genocide by a UN tribunal in The Hague for atrocities committed during the Yugoslavian civil war in the 1990s.
Fresh elections in Germany still most likely outcome, Berenberg says
The German state has not been left moribund by the recent failure of talks aimed at forming a new coalition government, nor will it significantly derail a push for reforming the euro area's architecture or the Brexit negotiations, a top-rated economist said.
Robert Mugabe resigns as president of Zimbabwe
President Mugabe has handed in a written letter of resignation, putting a halt to impeachment hearings, the speaker of Zimbabwe's parliament said on Tuesday.
Budget preview: Hammond's faces unhappy balancing act
Philip Hammond faces a near-impossible task as he seeks to balance competing demands when delivering his budget.
Ministers agree to double Brexit divorce offer to €40bn
Senior ministers have backed Theresa May's plan to double Britain's offer of payment to leave the EU to €40bn, reports said.
UK election regulator to probe Leave campaign over Brexit payments
The UK electoral regulator has opened a new investigation to establish whether one of the main pro-Brexit campaign groups broke election spending rules.
Philip Hammond says there are 'no unemployed people' in the UK
All eyes turned towards Philip Hammond on Monday after the Chancellor claimed that there were "no unemployed people" in the UK.
Banks will definitely lose passporting rights post-Brexit, Barnier says
Banks and financial services firm operating in the UK will lose their so-called 'passporting rights' after Britain leaves the European Union, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said on Monday.
German President urges parties to 'rethink their position' as coalition talks disintegrate
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the President of Germany, said on Monday that he expected all parties elected to parliament to make every effort to enable the formation of a government after coalition talks fell apart earlier in the day.
MPs' report calls for legislation to protect gig economy workers
A parliamentary report has called on the government to introduce legislation which will aid so-called 'gig economy' workers and prevent companies from withholding benefits from their staff.
Merkel under pressure as German coalition talks collapse
Negotiations to form a German government have collapsed after the withdrawal of the liberal FDP party from three-party coalition talks.
Sunday share tips: Merlin Entertainments, Amryt Pharma
Stock in Merlin Entertainments is best avoided, The Sunday Times's John Collingridge says, pointing to the increasing headwinds the company is facing in the UK which will be compounded by the outfit's strategy of focusing on growth overseas.