Political News
UK could ban plastic straws and cotton buds as soon as next year
In a new move to fight plastic pollution, the UK government has promised to place a ban on plastic drinking straws and cotton buds later in the year.
Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed as new Cuban president
Miguel Díaz-Canel was selected on Thursday by the Cuban National Assembly as the new president of the State Council. He has taken over from Raúl Castro as Government leader and is the first person outside the Castro family to hold this position since 1959.
MPs to vote on customs union proposal by committee chairs
A group of 10 committee chairs have put forward a parliamentary motion calling for the UK to remain in a customs union with the EU after Brexit.
Brussels reportedly set to offer a TTIP branch on trade to Washington
The European Union will propose a "miniature, simplified" version of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership to the US administration in a bid to end trade hostilities and in order to avoid US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
Melrose restates GKN potential as offer goes unconditional
Melrose Industries said an early review of GKN confirmed its potential for improvement as Melrose's £8bn offer for the engineering company became unconditional.
EU shows increased support for proposed Iran sanctions
European Union member states have begun to show increasing support for Britain, France and Germany's proposed new sanctions on Iran as part of an effort to dissuade the White House from pulling out of the Obama administration's landmark 2015 nuclear deal.
Putin seeks new deal with US to reduce tensions
Russian President Vladimir Putin is looking to dial down tensions with the US after Washington imposed sanctions on United Co. Rusal two weeks ago, in response to the Moscow's "malign activity" in multiple regions, and the launch of airstrikes last week against the chemicals weapon programme of Russian ally Bashar al Assad.
US considers restrictions Chinese tech companies
US trade representatives are considering retaliations against Chinese restrictions on overseas companies operating in high-tech sectors, potentially sparking a new trade skirmish between the superpowers.
All Brexit scenarios likely to leave Britain worse off, report says
Each of the four Brexit scenarios under consideration by the government would leave Britain worse off and cost hundreds of millions of pounds a week, according to a report.
UK and US authorities accuse Russia of hacking millions of computers
British and American intelligence agencies issued an unprecedented joint warning on Monday, alerting citizens of both nations that a Russian led hacking offensive was targeting millions of computers across the globe in order to spy on governments and pave the way for an attack on critical infrastructure operators.
RBS says pension settlement eases path to dividend payments
Royal Bank of Scotland has reached a settlement to fund its pension scheme that the bank said could pave the way for it to restart paying dividends to shareholders.
US and UK impose blocks on China's ZTE
The UK and the US have made moves against one of the largest telecommunications equipment makers in China, adding the firm to an ever-expanding list of companies facing restrictions put in place by western nations over national security fears.
Next boss Wolfson's pay drops after 'most challenging' year
Next chief executive Simon Wolfson’s pay fell by more than a third for 2017 – a year he described as the most difficult faced by the company for a quarter of a century.
Wires crossed as Trump scraps new Russia sanctions
President Trump has reportedly declined to sign-off on proposed additional sanctions against Russia for the Kremlin’s support of Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian regime, contradicting the US ambassador to the UN.
Investment Association tells companies to appoint more women managers
The Investment Association (IA) has written to one in 10 companies in the FTSE 350 – including BP – urging them to set out plans to appoint more senior female managers or face unrest at shareholder meetings.
North and South Korea close to ending 68-year war
The two Korea’s are discussing plans to finally bring an official end to their almost 68 year war according to the South Korean Munhwa Ilbo newspaper.
Parliament's vote on Brexit deal could keep UK in the EU
Parliament has several options at its disposal in order to change the course of Brexit, an influential think tank said in a paper published on Monday.
Parliament to debate UK participation in Syrian airstrikes
Prime Minister Theresa May will have to face criticism from parliament on Monday after deciding on Friday evening to intervene in Syria by launching coordinated airstrikes with the US and France without having Commons approval.
US, UK and France launch missile strike against targets around Damascus
The US, UK and France carried out a missile strike on three sites in and around Damascus and the western Syrian city of Homs with links to the country's chemical weapons programme.
Market Buzz: Investors play it safe going into the weekend; 'Sell the rip', BoA says
1700:Close Stocks carved out slight gains as the pound trimmed early sharp gains, as investors reacted positively to hints of progress in Washington's trade negotiations with Beijing and its NAFTA partners.