LONDON/HOUSTON – BP Plc’s newly named chief executive called  the Gulf oil spill a “wake-up call” for the entire industry as  the company tallied up its losses and disclosed two U.S.  investigations.

- – - -

WASHINGTON – Americans by a large majority believe President  Barack Obama has not focused enough on job creation, as economic  fears threaten Democrats ahead of Nov. 2 congressional  elections, a Reuters-Ipsos poll found yesterday.

- – - -

WASHINGTON – U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday sought  to limit damage from a massive leak of Afghan war documents,  saying he was concerned about the disclosure but it revealed  little that was not already known.

- – - -

MOSCOW – Russia condemned new EU sanctions on Iran yesterday, tempering hopes of closer cooperation between Moscow  and the West over Iran’s nuclear programme.

- – - -

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democrats unveiled a slimmed-down  energy bill yesterday aimed at reforming offshore drilling and  promoting alternative-fuel vehicles.

- – - -

ANKARA – British Prime Minister David Cameron promised yesterday to fight for Turkey to join the European Union and  criticised opponents of Turkish membership as prejudiced.

- – - -

BISHKEK – Kyrgyzstan secured pledges worth $1.1 billion from  international donors yesterday to help rebuild the strategic  Central Asian country after the worst ethnic bloodshed in its  modern history.

- – - -

MOSCOW – Russia’s latest privatisation plans would be a  significant policy development and send a positive signal to  foreign investors and global markets, a senior World Bank  official in Moscow said yesterday.

- – - -

MUMBAI – India’s central bank raised interest rates more  forcefully than expected yesterday to fight inflation that is  on track to hit double digits for a sixth straight month,  setting the stage for more policy tightening.

- – - -

LIMA – Peruvian President Alan Garcia has been cracking down  on left-wing movements, part of his broader push to shape the  next presidential race in favor of a centrist or conservative  candidate.