Politics

Bloomberg US Vice President Mike Pence said the US should retain its dominant role as mediator of the Israeli-Palestinian conf-lict, rebuffing Palestinian appeals to the European Union to take the reins. “The United States has played a historic role in this region to pursue and promote peace, and I think the United States should continue to play a preeminent role,” ...

Bloomberg South Africa’s main opposition party is proving to be its own worst enemy as it bids to topple the ruling African National Congress from power in next year’s elections. Instead of capitalising on voter antagonism towards the ANC and President Jacob Zuma over a succession of scandals, the Democratic Alliance has stumbled, with its mayors’ performance drawing criticism in ...

WASHINGTON / Reuters The US government’s aid chief, Mark Green, made an unannounced visit to Raqqa in Syria, the most senior US civilian official from the Trump administration to visit the war-struck northern city months after it was retaken from IS. Green was accompanied by head of the US Central Command General Joseph Votel as the United States ramps up ...

Bloomberg With the Trump administration warning of a possible war with North Korea, US allies in Asia are sounding the alarm on another risk: a clash with China in the western Pacific. China has recently accelerated air and naval excursions in sensitive areas near Japan and Taiwan, part of a longstanding quest to expand its military presence further from its ...

Bloomberg Lawmakers failed to negotiate an end to the government shutdown despite a bipartisan effort to broker a deal, raising the political stakes as federal agencies begin closing at the start of their normal workweek. Many more Americans will begin feeling the repercussions of a shutdown that officially began at 12:01 am after most government offices had stopped work for ...

Bloomberg US President Donald Trump believes his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital — a step that antagonised Palestini-ans — will ultimately provide new momentum to Middle East peace talks, Vice President Mike Pence said. Pence expressed confidence that Trump’s approach will help resolve the 70-year-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict as he opened a two-day visit to Israel at a meeting ...

Bloomberg Chancellor Angela Merkel moved forward in her bid to form a fourth-term government after her prospective coalition partner agreed to shelve its misgivings and enter negotiations on a common policy platform for Germany. Merkel, 63, welcomed the outcome of vote by Social Democratic Party delegates in Bonn following what she termed an “intensive and contentious” debate. The chancellor’s Christian ...

Bloomberg At least six people died when security forces clashed with anti-government protesters in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital, the United Nations said. Police and soldiers fired teargas and live rounds to disperse thousands of Catholic Church worshipers as they left morning services in Kinshasa and attempted to march to protest President Joseph Kabila’s refusal to step down. Similar ...

Bloomberg Mike Pence arrived in the Middle East, leaving his boss to fight Democrats over a federal government shutdown while he makes good on a three-country visit aimed at consolidating US partnerships in the region. The vice president was still crossing the Atlantic Ocean on Air Force Two when the shutdown started. He quickly punched out a statement of disapproval ...

KABUL / Reuters Gunmen dressed in army uniforms who stormed Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel battled Afghan Special Forces for 13 hours in an overnight siege that left at least five people dead, officials and witnesses said on Sunday. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which saw more than 150 guests flee, with some shimmying down tied-together sheets from upper-floor windows ...