Politics

BLOOMBERG Finland selected Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd to provide an air-defense system that will plug a hole in the weaponry of Nato’s newest member at the cost of €316 million ($346 million). A neighbour to Russia with a 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) border, the Nordic country is currently missing high-altitude interception capability after decommissioning the BUK system acquired decades ago from ...

BLOOMBERG A Chinese surveillance ship that can track rocket and spacecraft launches was docked at the eastern port of Durban, less than two months after South Africa drew the ire of Western nations by holding naval exercises with China and Russia. The presence of the Yuan Wang 5, which is now heading west according to data compiled by Bloomberg, has ...

BLOOMBERG Finland became the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), completing a tumultuous process of accession sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that upended the European security landscape. In a bittersweet moment, Finland gained Article 5 security guarantees and deterrence, but was forced to leave its close neighbour Sweden behind on the doorstep of the Nato. Foreign ...

BLOOMBERG India rejected attempts by China to claim some parts of Indian controlled territories, highlighting yet another flash-point between the neighbours. “Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be part an integral and inalienable part of India,” said a statement of the Ministry of External Affairs. Beijing issued maps and names of 11 places as part of its southern ...

BLOOMBERG Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is pressing allies to pitch in a total of €500 million ($543 million) a year to help Ukraine with non-lethal aid and other long-term support, according to people familiar with the matter. The head of the military alliance wants allies to boost contributions to a fund for Nato’s comprehensive assistance package for Ukraine, which ...

BLOOMBERG An Indian court suspended a two-year sentence for opposition leader Rahul Gandhi until it hears his appeal in a defamation case. The court fixed April 13 as the next date to start hearing arguments on Gandhi’s request to stay a conviction that led to his disqualification from parliament, said Kirti Panwala, a lawyer for the Congress party leader. Gandhi ...

BLOOMBERG Former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov won Bulgaria’s fifth election in two years, but his failure to secure a majority threatens to extend a political stalemate undermining European Union unity over Russia’s war in Ukraine. A bloc led by Borissov’s Gerb party won 26.5%, according to official results with 93.4% of districts counted on Monday. The bloc led by the ...

BLOOMBERG Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said his government will “do everything” to address outstanding issues confronting its maritime industry after the European Commission agreed to continue recognising government certificates issued to its seafarers. The Philippines is one of the world’s top suppliers of maritime labour and Marcos cheered the commission’s move, saying it averted the potential loss of 50,000 ...

BLOOMBERG Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese won a historic victory at a by-election in the state of Victoria, becoming the first government in more than 100 years to take a district off the opposition outside a national vote. The ruling Labor party’s candidate, Mary Doyle, was set to win the district of Aston in eastern Melbourne, according to Australian Broadcasting ...

BLOOMBERG Bulgarians are voting in their fifth election in two years, seeking to end turmoil that has paralysed the political system and put at risk European Union (EU) unity over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Balkan country has been grappling with a political stalemate after a series of inconclusive votes — most recently in October — has given no political ...