Politics

UN slaps new sanctions on N Korea

Bloomberg The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions targeting North Korea’s economy following the launch of a ballistic missile last month that Kim Jong Un’s regime said shows it can now target the entire continental US. A week after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called out Russia and China for their support of Kim Jong Un’s regime, ...

Read More »

US court delivers fresh blow to Trump travel ban

Washington / Reuters A US Appeals court said President Donald Trump’s hotly contested travel ban targeting people from six Muslim- majority countries should not be applied to people with strong US ties. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers several West Coast states, also said its ruling would be put on hold pending a decision on the latest ...

Read More »

May eyes 2022 vote after surviving turbulent year

Bloomberg UK Prime Minister Theresa May refused to rule out running for another term in 2022 as she shrugged off suggestions that 2017 has been the worst year of her political career. May lost her Conservative Party’s majority after calling a snap general election in June and has seen three cabinet ministers forced out of office. Britain also experienced a ...

Read More »

Pence meets US troops in surprise Afghan visit

Bloomberg US Vice President Mike Pence paid an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, a nation where the Trump administration has stepped up involvement in what’s become America’s longest war. Pence told the troops that “victory is closer than ever before,” adding that US arm- ed forces will remain in Afghanistan until the threat to the homeland is eliminated. Before the rally ...

Read More »

Catalan separatist victory fails to calm struggle with Spain

Bloomberg Deposed Catalan President Carles Puigdemont demanded the Spanish government recognise his victory in regional election and drop an arrest warrant, to let him end a self-imposed exile in Belgium and return to power. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy refused. He said only the courts could deal with arrests and if he should meet anyone, it’s the head of the pro-Spain ...

Read More »

US urges Russia to end latest upsurge in East Ukraine attacks

Bloomberg The US urged Russia to halt a renewed bout of fighting in the four-year conflict in eastern Ukraine following the Kremlin’s decision to withdraw from a military-monitoring mission. Ukraine, which has been battling Russian-backed insurgents near the two nations’ border since 2014, said eight civilians were wounded on Tuesday by heavy artillery and mortar fire. Two soldiers were killed, ...

Read More »

Pro-Spain Catalans to punish Rajoy for ‘timid response’

Bloomberg Mariano Rajoy’s People’s Party is facing substantial losses in Thursday’s Catalan elections as pro-Spain voters punish the prime minister for his cautious response to the push for independence. The PP could lose as many as eight of its 11 seats in the Catalan assembly as voters opposed to secession shift their support to the more hawkish Ciudadanos, according to ...

Read More »

Italy president signals polls early next year

Bloomberg Italian President Sergio Mattarella signalled he would soon pave the way for national elections early next year, telling political leaders that the parliamentary term was drawing to an end. “Our voice will be the stronger if we create the image of a country which is united, stable, determined, capable of respecting commitments,” the head of state said at a ...

Read More »

Battle for Canada’s left: Trudeau versus Singh

Bloomberg Justin Trudeau swept to power in Canada as a fresh face pledging to tax the rich and help the masses. Now a rival has picked up his playbook. Halfway through his mandate, Trudeau’s two main challengers are in place for the 2019 election, each younger than he is. To the political right is Conservative Andrew Scheer, Trudeau’s closest competitor ...

Read More »

Ramaphosa’s narrow ANC win could delay Zuma ouster

Bloomberg Cyril Ramaphosa’s victory in a grueling battle to lead South Africa’s ruling party may have been the easy part. His narrow win and his allies’ failure to secure three other top posts is likely to delay his ascendancy to the nation’s presidency and plans to revive a stuttering economy. While Ramaphosa won 52 percent of the vote for the ...

Read More »
Send this to a friend