Political News
More retail brands criticised on Chinese social media over Xinjiang statements
More foreign retail brands were attacked by users on Chinese social media on Thursday in response to international concerns over the mistreatment of Uyghur muslims in China's Xinjiang region.
EU threatens UK with legal action over post-Brexit trade arrangement
The European Union is threatening the UK with legal action over differences on their post-Brexit trade agreement and more specifically areas involving Northern Ireland.
China warns firms to stay out of Xinjiang politics
Chinese officials on Monday warned foreign brands to stay out of local politics after firms including H&M and Nike raised concerns about forced labour in Xinjiang.
Traffic resumes in Suez Canal as stuck cargo ship refloated
The giant cargo ship that had blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week was refloated on Monday, announced Egyptian authorities.
Tencent Music announces $1bn share buyback program
Tencent Music Entertainment Group announced plans to buy back up to $1bn worth of shares after its stock dropped dramatically last week.
China slaps sanctions on British MPs
China has sanctioned British MPs and other individuals and organisations for what it claims are "lies and disinformation" in retaliation for UK sanctions on Chinese officials over human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
North Korea test launches missile ahead of Olympics
North Korea launched two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea near Japan on Thursday in a test launch.
Ex UK PM Cameron faces probe over possible lobbying law breach
Former UK prime minister David Cameron faces a formal investigation over a potential breach of lobbying laws through his work on behalf of collapsed lender Greensill Capital.
EU, China tensions escalate in tit-for-tat sanctions round
Tensions between the European Union and the people's Republic of China rose on Monday after the bloc imposed sanctions on four Chinese officials over human rights abuses in Xinjiang, triggering an immediate response from Beijing.
Europe has 'absolutely no need' of Sputnik vaccine - Thierry Breton
The European Union has pushed back on suggestions it is considering using Russia’s Sputnik V to help keep its embattled vaccination programme on track.
Johnson to call EU leaders over AstraZeneca vaccine row
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to speak to EU leaders on Monday in an effort to resolve the escalating row over Covid-19 vaccine supplies from AstraZeneca.
MPs to decide on Greensill inquiry after Cameron lobbying
UK MPs will decide on Monday whether to investigate the collapse of Greensill Capital, including former prime minister David Cameron's attempts to lobby for the company, according to reports.
Turkish lira drops after Erdogan sacks central bank chief
The Turkish lira fell heavily on Monday after the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sacked his the head of the country's central bank.
Fourth Covid-19 'wavelet' in US hinges on continued spread of B117 variant
The Covid-19 pandemic in the US appears to be in its final stages, but a fourth "wavelet" in the near-term was still a possibility, analysts at Pantheon Macroeconomics said.
UK governance revamp targets dividends and bonuses
Big companies with threadbare cash reserves will be banned from paying dividends and executive bonuses in an overhaul of UK corporate governance to be announced on Thursday.
Dominic Cummings calls for 'urgent' Covid-19 inquiry
Dominic Cummings said when lockdown ends Parliament should look urgently at what went wrong during the Covid-19 crisis.
UK raises £1.36bn in 5G spectrum auction
The UK government on Wednesday said it had auctioned a new tranche of 5G mobile network spectrum for £1. 36bn.
Setbacks for German CDU in state elections at the weekend
Germany's ruling Christian Democratic Union suffered setbacks in two key state elections at the weekend.
Iran urges US to lift sanctions before national election
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that the US should drop sanctions before the next Iranian elections in June if it wanted to revive the nuclear deal.
UK unveils £3bn bus investment programme
The UK government announced £3bn of investment in the country's bus sector that it said would improve services, reduce fares and get people out of their cars.