Politics

Bloomberg A trial court sentenced seven people to death for their roles in Bangladesh’s worst terrorist attack, which killed 20 diners, most of them foreigners, in a cafe in 2016. Judge Mojibur Rahman pronounced the verdict in a packed Dhaka courtroom on Wednesday, Dhaka Metropolitan Chief Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu said at a briefing. The decision brings to a close ...

Bloomberg Kenya should re-introduce the position of prime minister and name the runner up in presidential contests the leader of the opposition, a panel recommended in a bid to end violent disputes that have marred past ballots. The proposed establishment of the posts are part of a raft of suggestions by the so-called Building Bridges Initiative, which was established by ...

Bloomberg German chancellor Angela Merkel made a spirited defense of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), saying Europe is currently too weak to defend itself without the support of the US-led military alliance. Merkel’s comments in a speech to the Bundestag were clearly directed at French President Emmanuel Macron, who has cast doubt on NATO’s future by suggesting the 29-nation ...

Bloomberg Jeremy Corbyn accused Boris Johnson’s government of secretly negotiating with the US over the National Health Service (NHS) as he sought to shift the focus from a spat over antisemitism that has embroiled his campaign. “This election is now a fight for the survival of our National Health Service,” Corbyn said as he unveiled previously redacted documents about the ...

Bloomberg A Japanese man in his 50s was taken into custody in China in July on suspicion of violating its laws, with the case potentially being a source of friction as prime minister Shinzo Abe seeks to host president Xi Jinping for a state visit next spring. Japanese chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said the man was taken into custody ...

Bloomberg Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam didn’t make any new concessions to protesters after pro-democracy forces won a landslide in local elections, a move that risks leading to further violence after months of unrest. The comments on Tuesday came during her first weekly briefing since an overwhelming majority of voters delivered a strong rebuke of her administration and its backers ...

Bloomberg French president Emmanuel Macron said 13 soldiers died in a helicopter accident on November 25 during an anti-terrorism operation in Mali. The accident occurred during a military operation against extremists, the French Presidency said in a statement. The accident raises the death toll in France’s anti-terrorism military operation in the Sahel region to more than 30. France started military ...

Bloomberg Botswana’s main opposition party and the breakaway party of former president Ian Khama are challenging the results of voting in 19 constituencies, a move that could result in the country’s electoral commission calling fresh elections in those districts. The Umbrella for Democratic Change has filed petitions with the High Court in 16 districts, while Khama’s Botswana Patriotic Front is ...

Bloomberg A four-day-old coalition government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) collapsed in the western Indian state of Maharashtra after it failed to muster a majority. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced his intention to resign at a press conference in Mumbai, the state’s capital, which is also home to India’s benchmark stock exchange and leading conglomerates, Reliance Industries Ltd ...

Bloomberg It’s starting to feel like dominoes. One by one, countries across Latin America are succumbing to unrest. It doesn’t matter if governments are from the left or right. People are tired of austerity, with some countries suffering years of stagnant economic growth and fed up with graft. The latest to face mass protests is Colombia. Perhaps having seen what ...