Politics

Bloomberg Kenya is bracing for street protests as the East African nation awaits the electoral commission’s response to opposition leader Raila Odinga’s decision to withdraw from a presidential vote rerun that’s threatening a constitutional crisis. Opposition supporters gathered on Wednesday in the capital, Nairobi, and in the western city of Kisumu to join demonstrations called to protest what Odinga said ...

Bloomberg UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said he will start releasing more money to help the government prepare for a “no deal” Brexit if there aren’t clear signs of progress in talks with the EU by early 2018. “There will be some areas where we need to start spending money in the new year if we can’t tell ...

Bloomberg The techno soldiers of Kim Jong Un are growing more aggressive in defending North Korea’s supreme leader against threats from Donald Trump and South Korea. The country’s hackers stole military plans developed by the US and South Korea last year that included a highly classified “decapitation strike” against the North Korean leader, according to a South Korean lawmaker. The ...

Bloomberg Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy stepped up pressure on Catalonia to halt its drive for independence, taking the first step in a process that could strip the region’s separatist government of its limited autonomy and impose direct control from Madrid. Rajoy, speaking after an emergency session of his ministerial team, said the cabinet had agreed to issue a formal ...

Bloomberg Election officials in Liberia started counting ballots after polling stations closed in presidential and parliamentary elections that regional observers said were conducted peacefully. Liberians chose a president to replace Nobel Peace Price laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from among 20 candidates who include a retired soccer star, a former warlord and a wealthy chicken farmer. The turnout among the 2.1 ...

Bloomberg Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the US should immediately withdraw its ambassador if he failed to consult with his superiors over a decision to suspend visa services, saying he doesn’t regard the envoy as an American representative and won’t accept his farewell visit. “I find the lack of consultation by senior US authorities with our foreign minister awkward,” ...

Bloomberg President Donald Trump defended his intelligence after reports that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called him a “moron.’’ “I think it’s fake news, but if he did that, I guess we’ll have to compare IQ tests,” Trump said in an interview with Forbes Magazine published on Tuesday. “And I can tell you who is going to win.” The president’s ...

Bloomberg The European Commission said it’s the UK’s fault that Brexit negotiators are taking a break in the middle of the current round of talks. “The timing of talks depends on the availability of our UK partners and I think that explains where we stand, in terms of presence, who speaks to whom and how these negotiations advance,” European Commission ...

Bloomberg The Catalan government’s determination to break from Spain faces its moment of truth, with the region’s president, Carles Puigdemont, risking immediate arrest if he goes too far down the path of independence. Puigdemont is due to address the Catalan parliament at 6 pm in Barcelona on the outcome of an October 1 referendum ruled illegal by the Constitutional Court. ...

Bloomberg Kenyan opposition presidential candidate Raila Odinga withdrew from a rerun of the country’s annulled presidential election, pushing the East African nation towards a constitutional crisis. Odinga, the leader of the National Super Alliance, said he’s pulling out of the race because the Independent Electoral & Boundaries Commission refuses to discuss proposed changes to its personnel and procedures to ensure ...