Politics

Bloomberg With diminished odds that Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will run for the presidency after an appeals court upheld his corruption conviction, a host of left-wing candidates are already trying to move in on his patch. At least half a dozen leftist parties with representatives in Congress are ready to jump into the race as Lula’s candidacy looks ...

Bloomberg Russia is hosting a Syria peace summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, with its hopes for securing an internationally-backed plan dashed as the opposition boycotts the initiative. More than two years since Russia’s military intervention in the war-torn country, it’s succeeded in decisively shoring up ally Bashar al-Assad. But even as the Syrian leader closes in on ...

WASHINGTON / Reuters The United States will resume admissions for refugees from 11 countries identified as presenting a high security risk, but with extra vetting for these mostly Middle Eastern and African nations, senior US officials said on Monday. The changes came after a 90-day review of refugee admissions from Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, ...

Bloomberg The US identified 210 Russian billionaires and top officials in a sweeping list required under last summer’s sanctions law, but underlined that those named aren’t being targeted for new restrictions. The highly anticipated document, mandated by Congress over White House objections to punish Russia for alleged meddling in the 2016 election, had fuelled alarm in Moscow and threatened to ...

Bloomberg Mariano Rajoy is rallying his troops for a political fightback. But his troops aren’t so sure. The Spanish prime minister is encouraging some senior officials to run in regional elections next year as he looks to shore up his People’s Party’s power base, according to people familiar with his thinking who asked not to be named discussing party strategy. ...

Bloomberg Kenya’s main opposition alliance defied warnings of a crackdown and prepared to inaugurate its leader as a so-called people’s president, threatening to deepen the East African nation’s political crisis. Thousands of National Super Alliance (Nasa) supporters thronged Uhuru Park on the edge of Nairobi’s city center by late Tuesday morning, awaiting the arrival of their leader Raila Odinga. The ...

Bloomberg UK Prime Minister Theresa May is fighting on multiple fronts as critics inside her governing Conservative Party threaten to upend her plans for Brexit and even her premiership. May’s party is split over how to leave the European Union as time runs out for finalizing the UK’s policy. Opponents of retaining EU trade rules after a divorce want her ...

Bloomberg Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will travel to Tokyo for his country’s first joint summit with Japan and South Korea since 2015, the clearest sign yet of improving ties between the three neighbours. The meeting was announced by China and Japan, as Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono concluded a two-day visit aimed at repairing his country’s strained relationship with China. ...

Bloomberg Germany’s Social Democratic leader said he needs concessions from Chancellor Angela Merkel to sell party members on staying in her government, raising the stakes as negotiators seek to finish a coalition pact within a week. Party leaders aren’t just discussing SPD policy demands on labor, health care and migration as they seek to end the political deadlock in Europe’s ...

Bloomberg Sauli Niinisto was re-elected as Finland’s president without recourse to a runoff — a first since the post has been settled by popular vote. Niinisto won a second term by a landslide, receiving the backing of roughly 63 percent of eligible voters and more than half of the ballots cast in every area of the 100-year-old nation. “Finland is ...