Politics

  Bloomberg Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam touted plans to revive a controversial security law that ignited a political firestorm two decades ago, after completing an election to install a new legislature filled with Beijing loyalists. The pro-establishment council elected in a muted vote should present “new proposals” by June on how to enact security legislation, Lam told a news ...

  Bloomberg The leader of dissident Tigrayan fighters who’ve been battling Ethiopian federal troops for the past 13 months said he’d ordered a strategic withdrawal in a bid to end the nation’s civil war. The announcement marks a significant development in the conflict and comes after government soldiers recaptured towns in the Afar and Amhara regions seized by the Tigray ...

  Bloomberg Leftist Gabriel Boric was elected president of Chile by a larger-than-expected margin, giving him a mandate to push for higher taxes, greener industries and greater equality after a contest focused on discontent over an investor-friendly economy that has left many behind. The former student protest leader won 56% of the vote, beating conservative rival Jose Antonio Kast’s 44%. ...

  Bloomberg India’s lower house of parliament approved legislation seeking to link electoral rolls with a nationwide digital identity database to stop fraudulent voting despite protests from the opposition and civil society groups, who allege the move violates citizens’ privacy. The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill was introduced and approved within hours in the Lok Sabha via a voice vote amid ...

    Bloomberg Ukraine’s former President Petro Poroshenko is suspected of state treason for purchasing coal from the country’s separatist areas, his ally told local media. A prosecutor signed a notice of suspicion for Poroshenko, who is now traveling abroad, Oleksandr Turchynov told a televised briefing. Poroshenko is expected back in Ukraine after holidays, said Turchynov, who denied any wrongdoing ...

  Bloomberg The indefinite delay of President Joe Biden’s signature domestic policy bill has derailed the Democrats’ strategy to stave off a Republican onslaught in the 2022 congressional elections and the party may be left without a fallback option. After renewed objections from Senator Joe Manchin to the structure of the Build Back Better measure, Democratic leaders in the Senate ...

  Bloomberg The Taliban government urged major Islamic nations to push the US to call off sanctions imposed on Afghanistan, saying the actions are exacerbating the refugee crisis and hurting its people. The freezing of Afghan assets by the US is in violation of human rights, while the suspension of development assistance by the International Monetary Fund and the World ...

  Bloomberg Voters in Malaysia’s biggest state are set to reject the opposition alliance in elections, increasing pressure on Anwar Ibrahim to step aside as de facto leader and forcing a rethink in strategy ahead of a national vote that may be called as soon as next year. The polls in Sarawak in Borneo island is expected to present another ...

  Bloomberg The United Nations Human Rights Office called on Vietnam to release four activists who were jailed for as much 10 years for disseminating anti-state propaganda, according a statement from UN spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani. Trinh Ba Phuong, Nguyen Thi Tam, Do Nam Trung and independent author Pham Doan Trang were sentenced under articles 88 and 117 of Vietnam’s Criminal ...

  Bloomberg Simon Case, the civil servant spearheading the investigation into whether the prime minister’s office and other government departments hosted lockdown-breaking parties last year, has stepped back from the role following reports that he hosted a similar event at the time. In a statement, Downing Street said Case had recused himself from the process to “ensure the ongoing investigation ...