Politics

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 …

Bloomberg Liberians vote on Tuesday to choose a new legislature as well as a president to replace Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from among 20 candidates who include a retired soccer star, a former warlord and a wealthy chicken farmer. Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president who’s governed the impoverished nation for 12 years, has thrown her …

Bloomberg President Donald Trump demanded that Congress deliver funding for his border wall and make dramatic changes to immigration policy in exchange for letting young people brought illegally to the US as children stay in the country. The administration’s proposal, outlined in a briefing by US officials and sent to lawmakers night, was swiftly rejected by top Democrats in Congress, …

Bloomberg The UK set out contingency plans for leaving the EU without a new Brexit deal on customs, as PM Theresa May warned that Britain must prepare for the worst. A planned Customs Bill will create a new “standalone” customs regime for the UK, and ensure value-added tax and excise laws continue to function if the country crashes out of …