Bolsonaro’s Defiance, Loving Trump, Upheaval in Italy: Weekend Reads

(Bloomberg) --

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s resistance to international pressure stems from his deeply rooted beliefs regarding the Amazon. Italy’s Matteo Salvini was the week’s big political loser. And Donald Trump’s trade war isn’t costing him as much support from a crucial voting bloc as you might guess.

Dig into these and other aspects of the latest political developments in this edition of Weekend Reads.

Ambition and Betrayal Sink Italy’s Puppet Master 
Salvini was at the apex of his political dominance less than a month ago as go-go dancers gyrated to the national anthem while he improvised as a DJ at a beach bar. John Follain charts how it all went wrong.

U.S. Farmers May Be Angrier, But Their Trump Love Is Growing
Farmers have never been this critical of the Trump administration’s trade war with China. But, as Isis Almeida writes, their love for the president seems to be growing anyway. 

A $12 Billion Gas Project Could Make or Break This Young Nation
Jason Scott reports from Timor-Leste, where birthing pains are still evident 20 years after a referendum brought independence from Indonesia following a brutal conflict that killed an estimated 100,000 people.

There May Be a Fortune Buried in a Forgotten Corner of Europe
Europe’s largest reserves of lithium ⁠— the metal used for batteries⁠ — could be in Serbia. But as James Gomez and Misha Savic report, the hard part might be getting it out. And read more about how the biggest territorial dispute in the Balkans, which has hampered Serbia’s and Kosovo’s integration with the EU, has gone global.

The Most Undiplomatic of Diplomats Is Trump’s Man in Middle East
As the top U.S. envoy to one of the world’s most volatile regions, David Friedman is anything but diplomatic. Trump’s ambassador to Israel broke the mold of non-partisan predecessors by outraging Palestinians with comments that the Jewish state has a right to annex some areas of the West Bank.  Ivan Levingston and David Wainer take a closer look. 

Here’s Why Trump and Rouhani Have Little Incentive to Meet
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani -- beset with an unhappy populace struggling under an economy crippled by U.S. sanctions -- has made clear that he’s not interested in sitting down with Trump. As David Wainer and Glen Carey write, Trump, too, has reasons to avoid direct talks. 

French Businesses Waking Up to the Reality of a No-Deal Brexit
Jean-Marie Fabre began traveling to London from southern France about five years ago to sell his red wine, and Britain now accounts for around a fifth of his exports. A no-deal Brexit threatens to undo all his work. Ania Nussbaum reports on the reality that’s slowly setting in among French merchants.

Take Our Quiz: Trump or Biden—Who Said It?
Trump and Democratic front-runner Joe Biden disagree on a lot. But they often sound alike. The 2020 White House rivals share more than a few verbal tics, including an outspoken appreciation of beautiful women, large crowds and their own IQs.  See if you can guess who’s who. 

And finally… On the 150th anniversary of the periodic table’s formulation by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev, it’s more important than it’s ever been.  Joanna Ossinger explains why in the introduction to a special edition of Businessweek dedicated to the stuff that makes up our universe. 

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Halpin at thalpin5@bloomberg.net

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