Politics

Bloomberg French voters went to the polls Sunday in the lowest numbers in 20 years despite a tight race between Emmanuel Macron and nationalist leader Marine Le Pen. French elections often throw up surprising twists, and this one didn’t disappoint. An early belief the vote would be a repeat of 2017, when Macron faced Le Pen and easily won, was ...

Bloomberg Dozens were killed and injured as Russia bombed a major rail evacuation hub on the eastern flank of the territory held by the government in Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said Friday. At least 39 were killed and more than 80 were injured when at least one Russian “Tochka-U” missile with cluster munition hit the main train station in Kramatorsk, a ...

Bloomberg As Sweden and Finland deliberate joining Nato, the two countries are seeking more clarity on how to bridge the gap between filing their applications and when the military alliance’s security guarantees would kick in with full membership. While there is little sign that the two Nordic nations would struggle to secure acceptance, Russia has repeatedly warned both against joining ...

Bloomberg China lashed out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for reportedly planning a landmark trip to Taiwan that’s been delayed because she has Covid-19, setting up a showdown when her visit to Asia is rescheduled. “If the speaker of the US House of Representatives knowingly commits a sneaky visit to Taiwan, it will be a malicious provocation to China’s sovereignty, ...

Bloomberg French voters head to the polls on April 10 in an election that is far from certain to return President Emmanuel Macron to power. Macron, 44, has sought to put himself at the centre of European and US efforts to end the crisis in Ukraine since late last year, and only began campaigning in earnest about a week ago. ...

  Bloomberg Sri Lanka’s opposition plans to file a motion soon to abolish President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s sweeping executive powers that lawmakers and critics say has contributed to the economic mismanagement of the country and prompted street protests calling for his ouster. “It will be an opposition motion. It will be to abolish the executive presidency,” Harsha de Silva, a lawmaker ...

Bloomberg India is optimistic about talks next week with the US on military cooperation even as the Biden administration becomes more vocal in rebuking New Delhi over its reluctance to criticise Russia’s war in Ukraine, people familiar with the matter said. Recent public statements from Washington warning India about consequences for purchases of weapons and discounted oil from Russia are ...

  Bloomberg US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is scheduled to visit Taiwan, according to media reports, a landmark display of American support that triggered a diplomatic protest from Beijing. Pelosi will arrive in Taipei on Sunday following a visit to Japan, according to reports in both Taiwan and Japan, including by Fuji News Network, which cited people it did not ...

  Bloomberg The UK, US and Australia said they are working on developing hypersonic weapons — military technology already deployed by Russia in Ukraine — as part of their new trilateral security pact called AUKUS. Their plan is to “accelerate development of advanced hypersonic and counter-hypersonic capabilities,” according to a joint statement. The alliance wants to counter the threat of ...

  Bloomberg Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party is on the verge of losing control of Pakistan’s biggest province days after it lost its majority in the federal parliament, raising the stakes before the Supreme Court’s ruling on his disputed call for national elections. After losing his majority in the lower house National Assembly, the former cricket star’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party is ...