Politics

Bloomberg Vice President Mike Pence will seek to show on a trip to the Mideast next week that the Trump administration can still partner with Arab and Muslim leaders on security matters and broker peace despite the backlash following President Donald Trump’s declaration that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. Pence is expected to receive an enthusiastic welcome from leaders in Israel. ...

Bloomberg Angela Merkel said Germany needs a stable government to strengthen Europe in a world fraught with risk as her Social Democratic rivals agreed to talks that could lead to a renewed alliance with the chancellor. As she seeks to end Germany’s political stalemate and clear the way for her fourth term, Merkel argued that a EU without a strong ...

Bloomberg Opposition lawmakers began an effort to force Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski out of office after he rebuffed calls to resign over his ties to companies that received payments from disgraced Brazilian builder Odebrecht SA. Congressmen from three parties presented a motion to remove the center-right president on the grounds of moral incapacity. The unicameral Congress will hold an ...

Reuters The US Congress will allow a deadline on reimposing sanctions on Iran to pass this week, congressional and White House aides said, leaving a pact between world powers and Tehran intact at least temporarily. In October, US President Donald Trump declined to certify that Iran was complying with the nuclear agreement reached among Tehran, the United States and others ...

Bloomberg Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US is prepared to negotiate with North Korea without preconditions, but the Trump administration would first want a “quiet period” without nuclear or missile tests for discussions with Kim Jong Un’s regime to begin. “Let’s just meet. We can talk about the weather if you want,” Tillerson said in a speech at ...

WASHINGTON / Reuters The United States is voicing skepticism about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a major withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria and is arguing that his declaration of victory against IS was premature. Putin, during a surprise visit to Russia’s Hmeymim air base in Syria, declared that the work of Russian forces was largely done in backing ...

BEIRUT / Reuters Iran’s southeastern province of Kerman was hit by multiple strong quakes on Tuesday and Wednesday, injuring at least 18 people and damaging some 20 houses, state media reported. The first quake of magnitude 5.9 struck on Tuesday morning 35 miles (56 km) north of Kerman, a city with a population of more than 820,000. The tremor, initially ...

Bloomberg The premier of South Africa’s richest province warned the ruling African National Congress will lose its majority and extend an economic slump if it elects the wrong leaders this weekend. “If it doesn’t give South Africa the leadership that will win public confidence, not only is the ANC going to lose 2019 elections, but the country will be in ...

Bloomberg Australian Senator Sam Dastyari resigned from parliament amid mounting criticism of his links with a Chinese businessman who had ties to the Communist Party. Dastyari, a member of the main opposition Labor Party, last month came under pressure amid media reports that he warned the businessman that his phones were being tapped by Australian intelligence agencies. He had previously ...

Bloomberg Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be allowed to run for re-election, Russia’s top envoy for Syria said, dismissing Western efforts to condition reconstruction aid on the departure of the leader. “I don’t see why he shouldn’t or wouldn’t run for another presidential term,” Alexander Lav- rentiev, appointed by the Krem- lin to steer the Syria peace process, told Bloomberg ...