Politics

Bloomberg Two US warships sailed through waters claimed by China in the South China Sea, an action that could infuriate Beijing as a new round of trade talks gets underway ahead of a looming deadline. The guided-missile destroyers travelled within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands, Reuters reported, citing an unidentified US official. The reef ...

Bloomberg The head of the European Parliament apologized after touching off a dispute by referring to parts of Croatia and Slovenia as Italian on a day commemorating the slaughter of thousands of his countrymen following World War II. Speaking in honor of those Italians who died and hundreds of thousands more who fled from Adriatic Sea border regions to escape ...

Bloomberg Time is running out to avoid a second partial government shutdown, as congressional talks about border-security funding broke down during the weekend in the latest dispute over detention beds for immigrants. Negotiations could still get back on track in the next 24 hours, and negotiators may decide that a stopgap funding extension past Friday is necessary. But the prospect ...

Bloomberg Thailand’s political divisions are erupting again with just over a month to go to the first general election since a coup almost five years ago. The spotlight is now on the fate of a party linked to exiled former leader Thaksin Shinawatra. The party, Thai Raksa Chart, saw a stunning bid to make Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya its prime ministerial ...

Bloomberg The rightist League of Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini emerged at the head of the strongest bloc in elections in Italy’s Abruzzo region, as support for the Five Star Movement tumbled. The League-led center-right alliance took almost 49 percent, with Salvini’s party the biggest contributor at 28 percent. Five Star, the League’s coalition partner in the national government, scored just ...

Bloomberg The US is seeking support for a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Venezuela’s government for blocking humanitarian aid from entering the country and calling on President Nicolas Maduro to hold new elections. The draft resolution calls for the “immediate start of a political process leading to free, fair, and credible presidential elections,” according to a copy of the ...

Bloomberg Congressional negotiators dug in for a weekend of talks on a security plan that includes some sort of barrier on the US-Mexican border, hoping to complete a deal to avert another government shutdown that’s also acceptable to President Donald Trump. Trump was back in the fray, indicating in a tweet that if Democrats didn’t give him all the wall ...

Bloomberg UK Prime Minister Theresa May wants more time to renegotiate her Brexit deal with the European Union and in return is promising lawmakers a further chance to take control of the process before the clock runs out, according to an official with knowledge of her plans. With a vote due February 14 and no prospect of agreement, May will ...

Bloomberg An Indian state lawmaker was shot dead in West Bengal amid rising tensions between the provincial and federal governments. Satyajit Biswas, who belonged to the state’s ruling All India Trinamool Congress party, was shot by assailants near his home on Saturday night, the Times of India reported, citing the police. The Trinamool Congress said on Twitter the death was ...

Bloomberg When Bolanle Aliyu decided to run for governor of Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria, even her husband was initially reluctant to support her. Aliyu knew it was going to be tough once she entered the boisterous and sometimes violent world of Nigerian politics. She’d have to figure out how to fund her campaign and deal with corrupt party officials ...