Politics

Bloomberg Italy’s novice premier-designate Giuseppe Conte struggled to form a populist government throughout the weekend, stranded between a president who objects to a euroskeptic candidate for the economy ministry, and a coalition ally threatening to force early elections. Conte, 53, is working on a list of ministers to propose to Sergio Mattarella, 76, the head of state whose task it ...

Bloomberg A conference to help resolve a seven-year crisis in Libya and lead to United Nations-backed elections in the North African country has been set for Paris on May 29. Four Libyans—UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj, eastern military stro-ngman Khalifa Haftar, the president of the eastern House of Representatives Aguila Saleh, and Khaled Al-Mishri, president of the High Council of ...

Bloomberg Outspoken Brexit supporter and frequent government critic Jacob Rees-Mogg said he’s not going to challenge Prime Minster Theresa May for her job. “I don’t wish to be prime minister, I’m very happy as a backbench minister in Parliament,” Rees-Mogg said on the BBC’s “Andrew Marr Show” on Sunday. “Of course I wouldn’t challenge the prime minister. The prime minister ...

Bloomberg Russian President Vladimir Putin urged patience in efforts to resolve a territorial dispute with Japan that’s lasted since World War II after Kremlin talks Saturday with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in a disappointment for the Asian country’s leader, who’s made striking a deal a priority. “It is important to patiently continue the search for a solution,’’ Putin said. Abe, ...

Bloomberg The leaders of North and South Korea met for two hours Saturday to discuss the canceled summit with Donald Trump, less than a day after the US leader signaled the meeting may be back on citing “very productive” talks between the two countries. South Korea’s Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in a surprise move, spent two ...

Bloomberg A federal judge denied a request by Paul Manafort, the former campaign chairman for President Donald Trump, to dismiss one of two counts in an indictment as unnecessarily overlapping. Special Counsel Robert Mueller didn’t violate the double-jeopardy clause of the US Constitution by charging Manafort with two crimes based on the exact same facts and circumstances, US District Judge ...

Bloomberg President Donald Trump announced plans to nominate a retired foreign service officer affiliated with an organisation that critics call an anti-immigrant hate group to run the State Department bureau overseeing refugee protection and resettlement. Ronald Mortensen, whose postings as a diplomat included Chad, Gabon and Australia, was tapped to be assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population, ...

Bloomberg President Vladimir Putin rejected accusations by the Netherlands and Australia that Russia was responsible for the 2014 crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, after investigators said they found proof the missile that downed the plane belonged to a Russia-based military unit. “No, of course not,” Putin replied when asked if a Russian missile had shot down the aircraft, killing ...

Bloomberg Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy is fighting to save his government from collapse after a slew of harsh jail sentences handed down by judges in Madrid exposed his party’s Achilles heel on corruption. The Socialists, the biggest opposition group, filed a no-confidence motion against him and Ciudadanos, another party, threatened to do the same unless he calls early elections. The ...

Bloomberg After championing the cause for staying in the European Union, Scotland’s nationalists are reigniting their effort to leave the UK with plans for a new currency, economic regime and an open door for immigrants. A report by a Scottish National Party commission made the case that Scotland should look to emulate small, better-performing economies such as Denmark and New ...