Politics

Bloomberg Malaysia’s ruling party suspended its second-in-command Muhyiddin Yassin for undermining the organization in his quest to oust Prime Minister Najib Razak, the latest indication of the premier strengthening his grip on power after months of political turmoil. Muhyiddin’s suspension as deputy president of the United Malays National Organisation will be in effect until the next party elections, Secretary-General Tengku ...

Shanghai /AFP The world’s 20 top economies will agree to use all policy tools to lift sluggish global growth, according to a draft communique obtained by Bloomberg News on Saturday, despite German disquiet over fiscal and monetary stimulus. The G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs meeting in Shanghai agreed to use those methods, as well as structural reforms, “individually ...

Shanghai / AFP Finance chiefs from the world’s top economies committed their governments to doing more to boost global growth amid mounting concerns over the potency of monetary policy. In a pledge that will prove easier to write than deliver and may disappoint investors looking for a coordinated stimulus plan, the Group of 20 said “we will use fiscal policy ...

Bloomberg The Group of 20 added a potential “ Brexit” and an escalating refugee crisis to its long worry list, even as it argued recent market volatility didn’t reflect global growth momentum. In a draft of the communique obtained by Bloomberg News, the G-20 members agreed to use monetary, fiscal and structural tools to boost growth and “calibrate and clearly ...

Bloomberg A mass shooting on Thursday at a Hesston, Kansas, factory was overshadowed by coverage of the 2016 presidential campaign, even at the largest news organization in the region, and President Barack Obama isn’t OK with that. “Once a week, we have these shootings and it doesn’t dominate the news,” Obama said , without singling out the Kansas City Star’s ...

Beirut / AP Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with key players in the Syria conflict, including President Bashar Assad, ahead of a US-Russia-engineered cease-fire, as the opposition voiced concerns that the truce due to begin later this week will only benefit the Syrian government. Government troops backed by Russian warplanes waged fierce battles to regain control of a strategic road ...

Beirut / AFP The Syrian army retook a strategic town from the IS group on Thursday, paving the way for the reopening of its sole supply route to main northern city Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops still needed to clear the extremists from hills overlooking the key highway before it could be fully secured. The road ...

Geneva / AFP All sides in Libya’s chaotic conflict are likely guilty of war crimes, including torturing, raping and executing prisoners, the UN said on Thursday, urging the world to do more to bring the perpetrators to justice. “A multitude of actors, both state and non-state, are accused of very serious violations and abuses that may, in many cases, amount ...

Benghazi / AP French special forces have been helping Libyan troops fight IS militants in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi for two months, two Libyan military officials said. The French combat squad, consisting of 15 special forces, carried out four military operations against IS and other militant groups in Benghazi, the officials said. They said that French forces work ...

Sydney / AFP Australia unveiled a massive new investment in the nation’s defence capabilities on Thursday to address what Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called “high stakes” and “momentous times” in Asia. Citing increased defence spending around the region and potential flashpoints in the South China Sea and the Korean peninsula, he said the government was committed to combating the most ...