General News
Ofgem says energy market competition weak, prices too high
Competition for household energy customers is weak and high prices paid by vulnerable people is unacceptable, the industry regulator said.
Goldman CEO says UK investment is 'outside our control'
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein has implied further uncertainty surrounding the bank’s investment in the UK, saying Brexit has left "so much outside our control".
Former Trump election campaign chief Manafort indicted for Russia links
Paul Manafort, the former campaign manager for Donald Trump’s election campaign, has handed himself in to the FBI after being indicted as part of an investigation into Russian meddling into last year’s election.
Elderly landline customers to benefit from BT price cut, says Ofcom
BT customers who buy only a landline telephone service will see their monthly bills slashed by £7 per month, following an Ofcom review.
EU competition body to investigate UK tax loophole
European competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager has turned her attention to the UK, announcing she will investigate whether multinational firms receive unfair tax breaks in the country.
Republican senators blast Trump as 'dangerous'
US President Donald Trump has come under intense criticism from senators within his own Republican party, one of which accused him of being "dangerous to democracy".
Xi consolidates power in China as no successor emerges
Chinese president Xi Jinping has paved the way for an extended time in charge of the country after no heir apparent was named as part of the new Politburo standing committee confirmed at the Communist Party conference.
President Trump wrongly links rise of UK crime to 'radical Islamic terror'
US President Donald Trump was accused of fuelling hate crimes after he said the UK crime rate was linked to "radical Islamic terror".
Spain orders elections in Catalonia in step towards autonomy suspension
Spain’s government will force elections in Catalonia in January with the support of the official opposition, in one of the first steps toward withdrawing autonomy for the region.
EU27 to prepare internally for second phase of Brexit talks
European leaders have agreed to move internal discussions on Brexit onto issues of trade and the exit transition - but not with the UK negotiating team due to the "insufficient progress" made in negotiations.
Trump tax bill clears Senate hurdle as Bush and Obama make veiled swipes
US President Donald Trump’s proposed tax reforms cleared a significant hurdle on Thursday as the Senate passed a blueprint budget for 2018, as the divisiveness under his administration faced thinly-veiled attacks from predecessors Barack Obama and George W Bush.
HSBC and StanChart subject to probe into SA corruption
The Treasury has ordered the Financial Conduct Authority and the Serious Fraud Office to investigate whether HSBC and Standard Chartered are exposed to a corruption scandal in South Africa.
New Zealand's lurch left sends Kiwi dollar crashing
The New Zealand dollar crashed on Thursday, after it emerged that a socialist-populist coalition would be making up the country’s next government.
PM May seeks to reassure EU citizens ahead of Brussels summit
Theresa May has reassured EU citizens living in the UK that protecting their rights and the rights of Britons in Europe is her number one priority in Brexit negotiations.
Iraqi troops move to retake Kirkuk from Kurdish control
Iraq has taken control of key areas of the disputed city of Kirkuk, seizing the international airport, a key oil field and a military base in what is an oil-rich area bordering the Kurdistan Region.
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.
Treasury Committee advisers to scrutinise FCA report on RBS
One month after refusing to publish the skilled persons' report into the treatment of the Royal Bank of Scotland's Global Restructuring Group customers, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) agreed to allow the Treasury Committee to scrutinise its contents.
Donald Trump plummets on Forbes rich list
US President Donald Trump fell almost 100 places in the annual release of the Forbes rich list, while Microsoft founder Bill Gates remained atop the rankings.
US-backed forces in Syria take over city of Raqqa
The Syrian city of Raqqa has been taken over by US-backed forces in the country, having previously been under the control of the so-called Islamic State.