Politics

BLOOMBERG Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled that former premier Imran Khan’s arrest by the anti-graft agency was illegal and ordered for the ex-cricket star to be freed from custody, a dramatic about-turn in the ongoing political drama. Khan was presented before the top court for an appeal hearing against his arrest, which has fuelled nationwide protests. Security officials were stationed around ...

BLOOMBERG Turkish presidential contender Muharrem Ince withdrew from Sunday’s election, narrowing the field of rivals to incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan and injecting fresh uncertainty into the contest over how his supporters will vote. “I am withdrawing from the race. I am doing this for my homeland,” Ince told reporters in a press briefing in Ankara. He asked for “a vote ...

BLOOMBERG There’s been no significant progress on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (Asean) five-point peace proposal for Myanmar that would include ending violence and committing to free elections, according to Indonesia President Joko Widodo. “Asean unity is needed to formulate the way forward,” Indonesia’s leader said as the two-day summit wraps up in the island of Labuan Bajo. “But ...

BLOOMBERG Armed with well over $30 billion in weapons freshly supplied by its allies, Ukraine is gearing up for a counteroffensive that may push Russia closer to ending its war, or show neither side has enough firepower to seize the advantage. Kyiv’s troops will leverage that hardware — shipments delivered since December that cost more than any North Atlantic Treaty ...

BLOOMBERG US President Joe Biden will host India’s Narendra Modi for a state dinner on June 22, the White House confirmed on Wednesday, marking his third such formal event after dinners for the leaders of France and South Korea. “The upcoming visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of ...

BLOOMBERG Pakistan opposition leader Imran Khan appears at an anti-graft tribunal after his dramatic arrest sparked violent clashes and prompted his supporters to protest outside the military’s headquarters. Khan was arrested by paramilitary troops on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), an autonomous anti-graft agency, in relation to a case involving a land deal. He was moved to ...

BLOOMBERG Italy has signalled to the US that it intends to pull out of a controversial investment pact with China before the end of the year. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reassured US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a meeting in Rome that while a final decision hasn’t been taken, her government is favouring an exit from its role in ...

BLOOMBERG Ukraine said troops pushed back Russian forces near Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region, though the Russian Defense Ministry said its units were advancing in the west and northwest of the devastated town. Ukraine advanced 2.6 kilometres into Russian-held areas near Bakhmut along a 3 kilometre stretch of front line, according to Andriy Biletskyi, a commander of the brigade ...

BLOOMBERG The Biden administration is preparing a $500 million weapons package for Taiwan, using a fast-track authority that it has relied on to speed arms to Ukraine. The package will involve sending existing stockpiles of US weapons or support equipment to Taiwan under what’s known as a Presidential Drawdown Authority. The equipment to be in the package wasn’t immediately known. ...

BLOOMBERG The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) allies need to spell out the concrete steps for Ukraine to become a member of the military alliance and move beyond repeating the standing position that it’s welcome to join the bloc, according to Estonia’s top diplomat. “It’s not enough anymore just to repeat the already existing position that Ukraine is welcomed to ...