Politics

Bloomberg North Korea said it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb with “unprecedentedly big power” on Sunday that can be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile, in its first nuclear test under US President Donald Trump’s watch. The test, ordered by Kim Jong Un, was a “perfect success” and confirmed the precision and technology of the bomb, according to the Korean ...

Bloomberg President Donald Trump said he would discuss the future of the US-South Korea free-trade agreement with his advisers following a newspaper report that he’s considering terminating the pact. “I am,” Trump said in response to a question about whether he’s discussing the issue with advisers. “It’s very much on my mind,” the president said during a visit to Houston ...

Bloomberg India got a full-time defense minister after Prime Minister Narendra Modi shuffled his cabinet on Sunday, a move that may speed up acquisitions as the government spends $250 billion on everything from warplanes to submarines. Nirmala Sitharaman will be the nation’s second female defense minister, taking over the responsibility from Arun Jaitley, who had been handling the portfolio in ...

BEIRUT / Reuters Most of an IS evacuation convoy stuck in east Syria has crossed out of government territory and is no longer the responsibility of the Syrian government or its ally Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi’ite group said. A US-led coalition fighting IS has been using warplanes to prevent the convoy from entering territory held by the extremists in east ...

Bloomberg Kenya faces an extended period of political and economic uncertainty after the Supreme Court tossed out the results of last month’s presidential election in a stunning decision that’s unprecedented in Africa. The judges ordered a new vote to be held within 60 days, opening an intense campaign at risk of being marred by violence. The news sparked celebrations in ...

UNITED NATIONS / Reuters US President Donald Trump, a frequent critic of the United Nations, will seek to gather global support for reforming the world body when he hosts an event at UN headquarters in New York on September 18, a day before he formally addresses the 193-member organization. Countries will be invited to attend Trump’s function if they sign ...

Bloomberg ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Shortly after the US detected the launch of a North Korean missile that soared over Japan, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley joined national security aides on calls to craft an urgent response. Coming less than a week after Trump said Kim Jong Un was “starting to respect” the US, the test-firing was ...

Bloomberg Death threats and court challenges mark an intensifying battle for control of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress as factions fight it out in the nation’s provinces before the party elects a new leader to replace Jacob Zuma. In the region with the most ANC members, KwaZulu-Natal, the high court is expected to rule next month on an application ...

Bloomberg The Scottish Labour Party will seek a fourth leader in less than three years after the incumbent quit following a turbulent period for the movement that once dominated politics in Scotland. Kezia Dugdale, 36, said she’s stepping down to allow someone else to drive Labour toward elections to the Scottish Parliament in 2021. She was elected leader in August ...

KIRKUK / Reuters Iraq’s oil-producing region of Kirkuk will vote in a referendum on Kurdish independence on Sept. 25, its provisional council decided, a move that could increase tension with Arab and Turkmen residents. The ethnically mixed region is claimed by both the central government in Baghdad and the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq. The vote is ...