Politics

Bloomberg Australia will create a Home Affairs ministry to boost anti-terrorism links between government agencies, in the nation’s biggest security shakeup in more than 40 years, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said. To be led by current Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton, the portfolio will be based on the UK’s Home Office and have oversight of federal police, …

Bloomberg Turkey is building up its military presence in Qatar, an adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, in defiance of a Saudi-led bloc’s demand that the Turkish military pull out of the emirate. “Turkey’s steady buildup continues there, protecting the border and the security of the Qatari government,” adviser Ilnur Cevik said on Monday by phone. Turkey has deployed …

Bloomberg Russia stepped up pressure on the US to return seized diplomatic compounds in one of the first tests of whether Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin can convert the personal rapport of their initial meeting into improved relations. The country houses outside New York and Washington must be returned unconditionally after they were taken over by the US “absolutely in …

Bloomberg UK Brexit Secretary David Davis returned to Brussels on Monday to resume Brexit talks with the European Union, as infighting among ministers in London over the future of Prime Minister Theresa May gathered pace. Davis and the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, shook hands before the start of four days of talks on the priority issues identified by …

Bloomberg Chancellor Angela Merkel’s main domestic challenger, Martin Schulz, joined international criticism of Germany’s budget surplus as he sought to gain an opening 10 weeks out from federal elections. Schulz, a Social Democrat whose party has been Merkel’s coalition partner for the past four years, pledged on Sunday to guarantee that surplus revenue would go towards spending on infrastructure if …

Bloomberg The last time Rwanda held presidential elections, opposition leader Frank Habineza’s deputy was killed and he fled into European exile. Seven years on, he sees his candidacy in next month’s vote as a cautious step towards greater political freedoms in the tiny East African country. The August 4 election will be the first time Habineza, who leads the Democratic …

Bloomberg Voting is under way in the Venezuela opposition alliance’s unofficial plebiscite, as it seeks to challenge the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro’s plan to rewrite the constitution after four months of anti-government protests that have left almost 100 dead. Venezuelans are being asked if they reject Maduro’s plan for a new assembly to change the constitution, if the armed …

Bloomberg Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said transitional arrangements for Britain leaving the European Union are likely to last a couple of years, rather than the couple of months suggested by his cabinet colleague, Trade Secretary Liam Fox. “It depends how long we need to put in place new customs systems, new migration systems; these things can’t be magicked …

Bloomberg German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she planned to serve a full four-year term if re-elected and defended herself against a political attack by her Social Democratic challenger that she’s faltered on public infrastructure investment. “I made clear when I announced my re-election bid that I would run for four years,” Merkel said in an interview with ARD television on …

Bloomberg French President Emmanuel Macron, who welcomed Donald Trump to Paris two days ago to participate in Bastille Day celebrations, said the US president may seek a solution over the next months for the fight against global warming. “We’ve spoken in detail on what may allow him to return into the Paris accord,” Macron said in comments published on Sunday …