Politics

Bloomberg German Chancellor Angela Merkel called anti-immigration demonstrators “rowdies” driven by intolerance, her strongest reaction yet to protests that have disrupted many of her election rallies this summer. Just over two weeks before the German ballot, Merkel addressed her increasingly aggressive enemies from the Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, and the far-right National Democratic Party, head-on. A day earlier, ...

Bloomberg The US said it would seek a vote on Monday on a draft United Nations Security Council resolution on North Korea, as it pushes for fresh sanctions against the regime after its recent nuclear test. The US informed the Security Council of its plan to call the vote, the State Department said in a brief statement, adding it would ...

TALLINN / Reuters Turkey said the European Union was making a “child’s game” out of its membership talks, wrangling over threats to end them, and reminded the bloc of its strategic importance abutting Middle Eastern conflict zones. After trading bitter barbs for months with President Tayyip Erdogan, largely over Turkey’s human rights record, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was ...

DUBAI / Reuters Saudi Arabia on Saturday suspended any dialogue with Qatar, accusing it of “distorting facts”, just after a report of a phone call between the leaders of both countries suggested a breakthrough in the Gulf dispute. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by the telephone with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani when they discussed ...

BEIRUT / Reuters US-backed militias and the Syrian army advanced in separate offensives against IS in eastern Syria on Saturday, piling pressure on shrinking territory the group still holds in oil-rich areas near the Iraqi border. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed alliance of mostly Arab and Kurdish fighters, launched a new operation against the extremists in the north ...

Bloomberg Political violence has flared in Zimbabwe as the southern African nation gears up for elections next year that may see a united opposition seek to end President Robert Mugabe’s near four-decade rule. The Zimbabwe Peace Project recorded attacks on 745 people last month, up from 435 in July. The ruling party, military, police and intelligence services were responsible for ...

Bloomberg As Kim Jong Un’s antics in North Korea capture global attention, China is quietly moving to bolster its grip on disputed territory in the South China Sea. Last month, a Philippine lawmaker released photos he said showed Chinese fishing, coast guard and navy vessels surrounding a Philippine-occupied isle in the Spratly island chain, preventing planned repairs to a runway. ...

Bloomberg Congressional investigations of Russian meddling in the US election likely will be extended — perhaps into next year — because of revelations during Congress’ August recess about Trump associates’ contacts and meetings, Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees said. “It seems like there’s not a week that doesn’t go by that another undisclosed meeting doesn’t come up ...

Bloomberg Hurricane Irma, the most powerful storm to form in the open Atlantic Ocean, was barreling towards Puerto Rico late on Tuesday on a path that may bring it ashore in Florida and destroy so much property that damages may surpass Hurricane Katrina. Irma has sent cruise lines and insurance stocks plunging, with Barclays Plc estimating insured losses in a ...

Bloomberg South Korean President Moon Jae-in sought to find common ground with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to prevent the situation on the Korean peninsula from spinning out of control. “If we fail to stop North Korea’s provocations now, it could sink into an uncontrollable situation,” Moon said in opening remarks before a meeting with Putin in Vladivostok, Russia, on Wednesday. ...