Kirkuk

The Kurdish Peshmerga forces say that the takeover of Kirkuk is "a flagrant declaration of war" against the Kurds and warned that the Iraqi prime minister would pay a "heavy price" for triggering the conflict.

The Iraqi parliament on Sept. 27 asked Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to send troops to the Kurdish-held region of Kirkuk and take control of its oilfields, as the prime minister demanded that Kurdish administration "cancel" the outcome of the independence referendum.

Trade will be at the forefront of many leaders’ minds this quarter as a new U.S. administration settles into the White House. Though U.S. President Donald Trump continues to be bogged down by congressional battles and allegations of inappropriate ties to Russia, his team will try to draw the public’s attention back to its trade agenda.

The International Energy Agency cut its forecast for 2014 oil demand to 92.7 million barrels a day due to weaker than expected global economic growth.