Politics

Bloomberg Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he would strengthen the country’s maritime border protection, after warning that new laws passed in parliament last week would weaken its boundaries and raise national security concerns. “The Australian government has zero tolerance for people smuggling and illegal boat travel to Australia,” Morrison said in a video message. “No one who attempts an ...

Bloomberg Italy’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement is putting its rivalry-ridden ruling coalition to a test — with an online vote. At stake in Monday’s web poll is whether Five Star should support immunity from prosecution for the anti-immigrant League party leader Matteo Salvini, who faces possible charges for refusing to let a migrant ship dock last summer in his role ...

Bloomberg President Donald Trump demanded that European nations take back their citizens who joined IS and were captured by US-allied forces in Syria and Iraq, warning the prisoners would otherwise be released. “Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing,” Trump said in a subsequent tweet, adding that the US is ...

Bloomberg Prime Minister Theresa May launched a desperate appeal to her Conservative Party lawmakers to unite behind her in driving through a Brexit agreement that might be palatable to EU leaders. In a letter to her MPs, May said she’s planning to return to Brussels for further talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker next week and plans to speak ...

Bloomberg Malaysians are losing patience and are starting to criticize the current government over its unfulfilled election promises, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in Kuala Lumpur. While the people wanted to see immediate changes, the present administration is unable to implement quick reforms because of the legacy left behind by the previous government, he said in a keynote address at ...

Bloomberg A nonprofit sued to block President Donald Trump from diverting funds from the federal budget to spend about $8 billion on his promised border wall, hours after he declared a national emergency. Public Citizen, a consumer rights think tank, filed the complaint on behalf of a nature preserve and three landowners in southern Texas who’ve been told the government ...

Bloomberg Brazil was among the first countries to recognize US-backed National Assembly President Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s rightful leader but it’s unlikely to add much more pressure to help oust Nicolas Maduro. President Jair Bolsonaro is no fan of Maduro, yet he’s been constrained by economic interests, a long-held Brazilian tradition of non-intervention in other countries, and a dash of ...

Bloomberg Libya should be ready to hold elections this year, with rival factions on track to hold a national reconciliation conference by the end of March, the United Nations envoy to the oil-rich but chaotic north African state said. “End of the year is a true possibility” for holding parliamentary and presidential elections, UN envoy Ghassan Salame said in an ...

Bloomberg Pro-Brexit members of Theresa May’s Cabinet would be willing keep Britain tied to the European Union’s customs regime for as long as five years in an effort to break the deadlock in divorce talks, people familiar with the matter said. The prime minister is trying to renegotiate the so-called backstop guarantee for avoiding a hard border with Ireland because ...

Bloomberg The last-minute delay of Nigeria’s general elections by a week carries dangers for both President Muhammadu Buhari and his main opponent, Atiku Abubakar. While the electoral commission said the postponement just over five hours before polls were due to open Saturday was for logistical reasons, it reinforces opposition criticisms that state institutions under Buhari aren’t independent and are incompetent. ...