Politics

Bloomberg Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that efforts to widen divisions with Taiwan would be “punished by history” in a nationalistic speech to mark the start of his second term. In an address to China’s almost 3,000-member national parliament, Xi said China had the capabilities to stop any attempt to formalise the democratically ruled island’s independence. The remarks came just ...

BEIRUT / Reuters President Donald Trump used the annual presidential statement marking the Persian holiday of Nowruz to criticize Iran’s government and military leaders with sharp-tongued language rarely before seen in a celebratory presidential message. “The history of Nowruz is rooted in Iran, where for millennia a proud nation has overcome great challenges by the strength of its culture and ...

Bloomberg Samuel Okunola shares the frustration of many Nigerians with the man he voted for three years ago, President Muhammadu Buhari. The 52-year-old tailor no longer feels he can support him in elections next year, but he doesn’t see an alternative. “I can’t vote for Buhari in 2019,” Okunola said in an interview at his shop in the upscale Victoria ...

Bloomberg European Union countries may decide this week whether to impose new political or economic sanctions on Russia after the UK accused Moscow of using a nerve agent on its territory, according to a senior Polish government official. “Poland supports the view that we should show solidarity within the EU and NATO and show Russia that it can’t cross new ...

Bloomberg The UK clinched a deal that will buy it time in Brexit talks in a move the European Union’s chief negotiator hailed as a decisive step. But it’s all still contingent on finding a solution to the most intractable issue of all — the Irish border. The two sides reached an agreement for a 21-month transition period that’s due ...

Bloomberg Jailed opposition presidential candidate Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko refused to appear in court for the first time since he was detained almost two years ago. Mokoko, who turned 71 on Monday, didn’t show up at the High Court in the capital, Brazzaville, because as a former chief of staff of the army he’s immune from prosecution, his lawyer Eric Yvon ...

Bloomberg Former South African President Jacob Zuma’s prosecution for graft appears at first glance to be a victory for the anti-corruption campaign of the nation’s new leader, Cyril Ramaphosa. Yet it also carries risks for his ruling African National Congress. Not only will a drawn-out trial be a constant reminder to voters that he was enmeshed in scandal for most ...

Bloomberg Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saw his support tumble in weekend opinion polls as anger continues to rise over a cronyism scandal. Two of the polls — conducted separately by the Asahi newspaper and NNN news network — showed public backing for Abe had fallen to its lowest level since he took office in 2012. They were conducted after ...

Bloomberg Officials reported a high turnout among voters in Russian presidential elections that are expected to hand Vladimir Putin a mandate to rule until 2024 amid an escalating standoff with the West. Opposition activists complained of ballot fraud. The Central Election Commission said turnout across Russia was 59.6 percent at 7 pm in Moscow. The Tass news service reported that ...

Bloomberg Russia’s ambassador to the European Union suggested the nerve agent used to poison a former spy and his daughter may have come from a research lab in the UK and rejected accusations it was made in Russia, according to an interview to be broadcast by the BBC. Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov said in searching for the poison’s source, investigators need ...