Politics

Bloomberg Italian President Sergio Mattarella begins intensive talks with political leaders to determine whether a new ruling coalition is viable, as the head of one of the country’s main parties signalled willingness to explore a new parliamentary majority. An alternative government is one of two main options emerging for the head of state after PM Giuseppe Conte resigned little more ...

Bloomberg US President Donald Trump spoke separately with the leaders of India and Pakistan in a bid to calm tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours over a territorial dispute. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kept Kashmir under lockdown for more than two weeks after scrapping the region’s autonomy, a move condemned by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. Both nations claim ...

Bloomberg Russia said it will continue to observe its moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-range missiles after the US tested a cruise missile following a pullout from a Cold War-era treaty that barred testing and developing the weapons. Russia saw the US move coming and it won’t let itself be dragged into a costly arms race, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei ...

Bloomberg China has detained an employee of the UK consulate in Hong Kong during a trip to the mainland, according to his friend, in a case that threatens to further strain ties between Beijing and London. Simon Cheng, 28, was reported missing after failing to return from a meeting in the adjacent city of Shenzhen. The Hong Kong police said ...

Bloomberg Hong Kong protesters rejected leader Carrie Lam’s attempt to meet one of their key demands, raising questions about whether a compromise can be reached even as both sides seek to lower tensions. Lam pledged to immediately establish a platform for dialogue, investigate complaints against police and institute a wide-ranging fact-finding study into the demonstrations. While details remained scarce, she ...

Bloomberg The European Union (EU) poured cold water on Boris Johnson’s attempt to renegotiate the Brexit deal, saying the so-called backstop to prevent a hard Irish border — which the British prime minister wants scrapped — was a vital part of the divorce agreement. It means that with just over two months to go until Johnson has said the UK ...

Bloomberg Matteo Salvini dangled the prospect of tax cuts and a boost in government spending for Italians in a final push to force new elections that could secure him the premiership. Salvini, who has called time on his alliance with the Five Star Movement and is seeking to cash in on strong poll ratings, promised in a radio interview that ...

Bloomberg Communications restrictions continued across Kashmir two weeks after India scrapped the region’s autonomy, while the fate of detained political leaders — including former chief ministers — remains uncertain. India aid all government offices along with around 190 schools would be reopened from Monday, however curbs in some parts of the capital Srinagar were reimposed after protesters clashed with police, ...

Bloomberg Iran warned the US against apprehending a supertanker carrying the Middle East country’s oil, leaving the fate of the vessel uncertain as it sailed east into the Mediterranean Sea from Gibraltar, where it been detained since last month. The tanker, formerly called the Grace 1 and now known as the Adrian Darya 1, was signaling — at least for ...

Bloomberg Leaders of Russia’s lower house of parliament met to discuss alleged foreign meddling in the country’s affairs including in elections, amid the biggest wave of protests in Moscow in seven years. The council of the State Duma, comprising party leaders and top officials, held a special session to create a commission to investigate “the facts of possible interference in ...