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Venezuela Socialists celebrate new Congress, pariah status looms

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's ruling Socialist Party has vowed that a newly elected legislative super-body will begin passing laws quickly after a vote that was boycotted by the opposition and slammed by foreign governments as an affront to democracy.

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UK regulator says fee cap may not solve overdraft concerns

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's financial regulator said fundamental reform of unarranged overdrafts was needed as it had significant doubts about whether they could continue in their current form and a cap on fees may not be the answer.

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Cities battle to host EU agencies after Brexit

European cities are battling to become the new home to two highly prized EU agencies that are pulling out of London due to Brexit.
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Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on Iraqi embassy in Kabul

KABUL (Reuters) - Militant group Islamic State on Monday claimed responsibility for an attack on the Iraqi embassy in Kabul that began with a suicide bomber blowing himself up at the main gate, allowing gunmen to enter the building and battle security forces.

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UK will not cut taxes below European average after Brexit - Hammond

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain does not intend to lower taxes far below the European average in order to remain competitive after Brexit but rather expects to keep a recognisably European economic and social model, finance minister Philip Hammond said.

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Buyback and profit rise show progress as HSBC looks east

HONG KONG/LONDON (Reuters) - A third share buyback in a year by HSBC underlined progress in the turnaround plan for Europe's biggest bank, with profit also growing by 5 percent in the first half of 2017.

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French actress Jeanne Moreau dies aged 89

Jeanne Moreau, the actress who became a symbol of France's New Wave cinema, has died aged 89.
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Germany urges EU countermeasures against U.S. over Russia sanctions

BERLIN (Reuters) - New sanctions against Russia proposed by U.S. lawmakers and which could harm European firms violate international law and the European Commission should consider counter-measures, the German economy minister was quoted on Monday as saying.

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Game Of Thrones creators under fire on Twitter

HBO has urged people to "reserve judgement" after an online protest against a planned slavery drama from Game Of Thrones creators David Benioff and D B Weiss.
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Putin expels 755 US diplomats from Russia

Vladimir Putin has ordered 755 staff to leave US diplomatic missions in Russia in retaliation for Washington agreeing to impose more sanctions on Moscow.
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Venezuela is beginning to resemble a war

Quite where this increasingly violent political crisis is going to lead is impossible to gauge, but the view from the protest groups is that the fight is entering a new phase.
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One hundred stranded as cable car breaks down

Around 100 people were left stranded in mid-air after a cable car service crossing the River Rhine in Germany broke down.
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Ceremony to mark 100 years since Passchendaele

Prince Charles will lead senior royals and politicians as commemorations for the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele enter their second day.
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Ceremony marks 100 years since Passchendaele

Prince Charles is leading senior royals and politicians as commemorations for the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele enter their second day.
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Polish president unexpectedly vetoes judiciary reform

WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Monday he will veto two of three bills reforming the country's judiciary system, easing worries that the ruling Law and Justice party will undermine the division of powers.

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Autos, airlines hit in sluggish start to European trading week

LONDON (Reuters) - European shares dipped on Monday with the autos sector hitting its lowest level this year after anti-trust regulators opened an investigation into regional carmakers while price war worries hurt airlines.

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Taliban suicide car bomber kills dozens in Afghan capital

KABUL (Reuters) - A Taliban suicide attacker detonated a car bomb in the western part of Kabul on Monday, killing up to 35 people and wounding more than 40, government officials said, in one of the worst attacks in the Afghan capital in recent weeks.

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Why Ukrainian forces gave up Crimea without a fight - and NATO is alert

KIEV/SEVASTOPOL, Crimea (Reuters) - The career of Sergei Yeliseyev helps to explain why Ukraine's armed forces gave up Crimea almost without a fight - and why NATO now says it is alert to Russian attempts to undermine military loyalty in its eastern European members.

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Cyber attack costs weigh on Reckitt revenue forecast

LONDON (Reuters) - Reckitt Benckiser Group expects muted sales growth this year, after last month's global cyber attack exacerbated ongoing difficulties at the British consumer goods firm.

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Parents of Charlie Gard return to London High Court

LONDON (Reuters) - The parents of critically-ill British baby Charlie Gard, whose fate has captured global attention, return to London's High Court on Monday where a judge is set to hear final arguments as to why a hospital should not turn off the boy's life support.

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