Bloomberg President Emmanuel Macron expanded his control of French politics as voters put his party on track to a sweeping majority in the National Assembly in the first round of legislative elections, ousting establishment stalwarts in the process. The new president’s year-old party, Republic on the Move, won 32.3 percent of the vote alongside its centrist ally MoDem, more than …

Bloomberg Prime Minister Juha Sipila moved to dissolve the three-party ruling coalition after junior partner The Finns was taken over by its anti-immigrant wing, throwing into doubt the next steps in a process that has helped Finland battle back from an economic slump. The Finns’ shift to the right over the weekend was too much to stomach for Sipila’s Center …

Bloomberg Italy’s opposition Five Star Movement suffered heavy setbacks in local elections on Sunday, dimming the party’s prospects of leading the national government after parliamentary elections next year. Five Star, led by former comedian Beppe Grillo, failed to make it to the second round of voting in Genoa, Palermo, Parma and Verona, according to projections. Centrist-oriented parties fared better in …

Bloomberg Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was detained by police outside his apartment in southern Moscow after calling on supporters to mount an unsanctioned protest near the Kremlin, his supporters said. Presidential hopeful Navalny had announced rallies against official corruption on Monday, the Russia Day holiday, and protesters gathered in numerous other cities. In Moscow, Navalny called on supporters to …

Bloomberg A day after she was forced to promote prominent Brexit hardliners in her bid to cling to power, UK Prime Minister Theresa May is set to face furious lawmakers from her Conservative Party in a showdown that could signal the end of her premiership. May, who chairs a meeting of her new Cabinet on Monday morning, will hear first-hand …

Bloomberg Hong Kong braced itself for its first typhoon this year, as Tropical Storm Merbok lashed the financial center with rain and wind. The Hong Kong Observatory hoisted Signal No. 8 at 5:20 p.m. local time. and said the warning would remain in force tonight. At 7 p.m., Tropical Storm Merbok was centered about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south-southeast of …

Bloomberg An Iranian airline that signed a $3 billion contract at list prices with Boeing Co. is confident the deal won’t face a political backlash in Washington, days after the US Senate voted to advance a bill that could bring new sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Aseman Airlines, a private company whose largest owner is Iran’s National Pension Fund, signed …

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced the appointment of Hassan Al Yousuf as its new General Manager for the Sultanate of Oman. Based at the airline’s offices in Muscat, Hassan is responsible for leading Etihad Airways’ commercial operations in Oman, as it continues to grow its presence and operations …

Sharjah / Emirates Business Armenia is fast proving to be a popular destination for GCC families, especially Indian citizens living in the Gulf, thanks to the latest visa-on-arrival policy that the country implemented earlier this year. Armenia appeals to a wide spectrum of holiday-goers, from thrill seeking adventurers to those looking for more family-orientated trips, Yerevan is an exciting destination …

Emirates Business The Philippines’ largest carrier celebrates Philippine Independence Day by giving all passengers the freedom to bring more gifts and ‘pasalubong’ for their loved-ones as Cebu Pacific offers a total baggage allowance that exceeds a typical ‘balikbayan box.’ CEB extends its promo granting its valued guests additional baggage allowance free-of-charge. Until November 30 this year all passengers originating from …