Politics

Bloomberg Afghanistan’s government is making no headway in rolling back territory controlled by the Taliban, a Pentagon watchdog found, even as the Trump administration tries to negotiate a peace agreement that would let the US withdraw troops after 18 years of war. Afghan army casualty rates, an erosion of force levels and increased civilian deaths are all preventing president Ashraf ...

Bloomberg The UK’s main opposition Labour Party predicted Theresa May will have to accept a customs union with the European Union as the price for getting her Brexit deal ratified in Parliament. “I think pragmatically, they potentially may have no option in order to push this deal through,” Labour’s business spokeswoman, Rebecca Long-Bailey, told BBC Radio 4 when asked about ...

Bloomberg Special Counsel Robert Mueller expressed frustration over how Attorney General William Barr characterised his findings and analysis regarding whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice, according to a letter Mueller sent to Barr. Mueller contacted Barr to express his displeasure after Barr issued a four-page letter characterising the main findings of Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, ...

Bloomberg Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was sentenced to nearly a year in jail for skipping bail as he prepares to fight extradition to the US. Assange was last month found guilty of bail violations following his dramatic arrest in London. The 47-year-old had been holed up inside the Ecuadorian embassy since 2012 as he sought to escape questioning in a ...

Bloomberg Young South Africans are turning their backs on elective politics at the fastest pace in at least two decades, a trend that may hurt the ruling party in next week’s vote. The number of South Africans under 20 who have registered to participate in the May 8 general election has dropped to the lowest level since at least 1999, ...

Bloomberg South Korean President Moon Jae-in wrote to former Japanese Emperor Akihito to thank him for contributing to improving ties, in a gesture that could help thaw chilly diplomatic relations between the two countries. Moon sent the letter as the former emperor relinquished his crown to his son Crown Prince Naruhito. Akihito has emphasized the importance of guarding peace during ...

Bloomberg Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned grassroots activists in his Conservative Party not to try to depose PM Theresa May, arguing that a leadership contest would only delay Brexit. The beleaguered premier, who survived a confidence vote by members of parliament in December, is set to face the judgment of local party leaders and other members at a special meeting ...

Bloomberg German Chancellor Angela Merkel pushed back against renewed speculation she could soon step down, saying she won’t make any big announcements at a party meeting scheduled after next month’s European election. The German leader was asked about the implications of a meeting called by Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the head of Merkel’s CDU party, for the beginning of June — and ...

Bloomberg Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido went to a military base in the nation’s capital to proclaim the end of socialist President Nicolas Maduro’s regime and called for a military uprising. The outcome of the high-stakes gambit remained unclear as protesters gathered despite billowing tear gas and the regime promised punishment for any who joined a rebellion. No high-ranking officers ...

Bloomberg After dithering for decades, Indonesia has decided to move its capital from an overcrowded Jakarta, and President Joko Widodo wants its citizens to have a say in picking the new location. Widodo, known as Jokowi, sought suggestions from the public about the new capital on his Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts, drawing thousands of responses from netizens. “Jakarta now ...