Brazil chases FIFA over World Cup structures
Brazilian state prosecutors are seeking to recover almost $100m from football's global governing body FIFA which was spent on temporary structures at venues for next year's World Cup.
Russian 'trade war' official dismissed
The Russian government has dismissed the head of the consumer protection agency, a notorious official best known for waging apparent trade wars against the country's neighbours.
Congress pulls US back from brink, averts default
The United States was spared the ignominy of a disastrous debt default Wednesday when Congress passed a bill extending the nation's borrowing authority and ending a two-week government shutdown.
Political chaos pushes US up against debt deadline
A day of political disarray Tuesday pushed America to within hours of a debt default deadline, but two veteran senators chased a last-gasp deal to stave off a sudden shock to the global economy.
Libyan PM accuses 'political party' of kidnapping him
Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has accused a "political party" of organising his brief abduction by armed gunmen on Thursday, the latest example of the lawlessness prevailing since Moamer Kadhafi's overthrow.
Government shutdown to hit US courts next week
US federal courts will have to close their doors at the end of next week if no deal is reached to end the government shutdown.
US political deadlock threatens world economy: OECD
Failure to raise the US borrowing ceiling due to political deadlock could force most of the leading industrial democracies into recession.
British vans telling migrants to 'go home' ruled inoffensive
Britain's advertising watchdog said Wednesday that government posters urging illegal immigrants to "go home or face arrest" were not offensive despite hundreds of complaints.
Default fears fuel angst in shutdown Washington
The "unthinkable" threat of a US default weighed on Washington Monday, as a standoff over raising the government debt ceiling drowned out angst over a week-long government shutdown.
Azerbaijan cracks down on critics ahead of polls
Sakina Gurbanova says her son is facing 12 years in prison for daring to challenge Azerbaijan's government ahead of upcoming presidential elections in the tightly controlled ex-Soviet state.
Shutdown forces EU, US to cancel trade deal talks
The second round of scheduled talks between top European Union and American officials to clinch the world's largest trade deal have been cancelled because of the US government shutdown.
Japan's Aso warns of 'consequences' of US debt default
Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso on Friday urged the United States to resolve political gridlock in Washington, warning of grim "consequences" for the global economy if it leads to a debt default.
Ireland set to vote on abolishing upper house of parliament
Ireland votes on Friday on whether to abolish its upper house of parliament, a historic move that Prime Minister Enda Kenny argues will save money but which critics say is a power grab.
US default could be 'catastrophic': Treasury
The US Treasury warned Thursday of a disastrous outcome if Congress's refusal to raise the country's borrowing ceiling forces it to default on obligations.
Unemployment remains dark spot in Spanish economy
Spain's government sees light at the end of the tunnel with the end to a two-year recession but analysts warn joblessness will continue to weigh down the eurozone's fourth-largest economy.
White House talks fail to end government shutdown
Talks between an exasperated President Barack Obama and top Republicans failed to end a government shutdown, with both sides accusing the other of refusing to negotiate.
Berlusconi drops bid to oust govt in shock U-turn
Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi abandoned his bid to topple Enrico Letta's government in a humiliating climbdown after key allies rebelled against his leadership.
US military braces for full effect of shutdown
The US government shutdown had no drastic effect on the military Tuesday but if it remains in place everything from ship repairs to combat training will be disrupted.
Next Norwegian government to get tough on immigration
Norway's incoming government will get tough on immigration, future prime minister Erna Solberg, said Monday as she presented the main policies of the minority coalition she is forming with a populist right-wing party.
US economy faces hefty hit if government shuts down
A US government shutdown would hit an economy struggling to sustain its post-crisis rebound, but experts say the impact will only be substantial if Washington's political paralysis lasts several weeks.