Bloomberg Russia denied assertions by neighbouring Ukraine that most Russian troops taking part in large-scale war games this month on NATO’s eastern border remained in Belarus after the exercises ended. “As far as the Russian troops which took part in the joint strategic exercises, Zapad 2017, they all returned to their permanent bases,” Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on …

Bloomberg Voters in Lesotho began casting ballots on Saturday in elections for national assembly members in three constituencies and for local government leaders across the landlocked southern African nation. Voting began in the parliamentary constituencies of Hololo, Thupa-kubu and Teyateyaneng, where candidates died before general elections on June 3. More than 1.2 million voters were also expected to cast ballots …

Bloomberg The US is communicating with North Korea about its nuclear programme and testing Pyongyang’s appetite for negotiations, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in the first public acknowledgment by a senior administration official of direct contact on the matter. Tillerson, speaking to reporters on Saturday after meeting Chinese officials in Beijing, insisted that the US would never accept a …