Bloomberg Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he would strengthen the country’s maritime border protection, after warning that new laws passed in parliament last week would weaken its boundaries and raise national security concerns. “The Australian government has zero tolerance for people smuggling and illegal boat travel to Australia,” Morrison said in a video message. “No one who attempts an ...

Bloomberg Italy’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement is putting its rivalry-ridden ruling coalition to a test — with an online vote. At stake in Monday’s web poll is whether Five Star should support immunity from prosecution for the anti-immigrant League party leader Matteo Salvini, who faces possible charges for refusing to let a migrant ship dock last summer in his role ...

Bloomberg President Donald Trump demanded that European nations take back their citizens who joined IS and were captured by US-allied forces in Syria and Iraq, warning the prisoners would otherwise be released. “Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing,” Trump said in a subsequent tweet, adding that the US is ...

Bloomberg Prime Minister Theresa May launched a desperate appeal to her Conservative Party lawmakers to unite behind her in driving through a Brexit agreement that might be palatable to EU leaders. In a letter to her MPs, May said she’s planning to return to Brussels for further talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker next week and plans to speak ...

Bloomberg Malaysians are losing patience and are starting to criticize the current government over its unfulfilled election promises, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in Kuala Lumpur. While the people wanted to see immediate changes, the present administration is unable to implement quick reforms because of the legacy left behind by the previous government, he said in a keynote address at ...

Bloomberg A $7.5 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in East Canada focussed on Europe is seeking to get the go-ahead this year. Pieridae Energy Ltd is targeting the milestone known as a final investment decision after having lined up buyers for the fuel, mainly in Europe. If approved it would add to LNG supplies into northwest Europe, which has ...

Bloomberg Singapore Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat will aim to strike a delicate balance in Monday’s budget: preaching fiscal prudence while doling out more social spending ahead of elections that could come as early as this year. While not expected to be as headline-grabbing as last year — when Heng flagged a hike in the goods-and-services tax — the 2019 ...

Bloomberg India raised duties on all goods imported from Pakistan following the withdrawal of most-favored nation status to its neighbor after a terror attack last week killed dozens of Indian soldiers. The basic customs duty on all Pakistan exports to India will be increased to 200 percent immediately, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in a post on Twitter. Withdrawing the ...

Bloomberg The trade war between the US and China and slowing retail sales dragged Hong Kong’s economic growth down at the end of last year, with exports showing almost “zero growth.” Gross domestic product in the fourth quarter was “less than 1.5 percent,” according to a blog post on Sunday from Financial Secretary Paul Chan. The “significant slowdown” was well ...

Bloomberg Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law key economic measures that are seen to help lower rice prices, strengthen the central bank and bolster state revenues. Duterte signed a bill that would remove caps on rice imports and boost supply of the staple grain, according to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea. The measure is expected to help cool inflation, which ...