Politics

Bloomberg China’s State Council has decided to launch a probe after the death toll from the flooding in Henan province surged from 99 to 302, according to official media reports. The State Council decided to carry out a “comprehensive and objective assessment” of Henan’s disaster response, which will be led by the Ministry of Emergency Management, in a bid to ...

Bloomberg Hungary’s membership in the European Union may be assessed in a new light once the country becomes a net contributor to the bloc’s budget towards the end of the decade, Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said. The comments, made by one of the most moderate voices in Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s cabinet, revived concerns that an increasingly bellicose relationship with ...

Bloomberg The final session for Malaysia’s special parliament sitting on Monday has been postponed indefinitely because of an outbreak of Covid cases, likely easing pressure on embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin amid mounting calls for him to resign. The deferment follows an assessment by the health ministry, which found the parliament building to be at risk of a spread in ...

Bloomberg Myanmar’s military regime said it’s forming a caretaker government and will install army chief Min Aung Hlaing as premier, further entrenching the junta six months it seized power in a coup. The state of emergency — set for a year when the regime took over in February — could be extended through August 2023, the senior general said in ...

Bloomberg Support for New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party has slipped by almost 10 percentage points amid increasing scrutiny of the government’s response to the coronavirus, according to a poll by Newshub-Reid Research. Labour’s support fell to 43% compared with a May survey, while New Zealand National Party’s backing rose to almost 29% and ACT Party’s increased to ...

Bloomberg House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s bid for a last-minute extension of an eviction moratorium for renters collapsed, leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes after the ban lifts on Saturday. Pelosi’s efforts, coming on the heels of a public plea made Thursday morning by President Joe Biden, marks a rare political defeat for the speaker, who has ...

Bloomberg Chancellor Rishi Sunak has urged an easing of the UK’s travel restrictions, which he said are damaging the country’s tourism industry and overall economy. Sunak wrote of his concerns to Prime Minister Boris Johnson before ministers are due to discuss August travel guidelines this week, the Sunday Times reported. In the letter, Sunak said UK border policy was out ...

Bloomberg The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said planned joint military exercises between South Korea and the US will “cloud” inter-Korean relations, Yonhap News Agency reported. North Korea will “closely watch” if South Korea goes ahead with the drills, report said, citing a statement from Kim Yo Jong via the Korean Central News Agency. Kim Jong-un and South ...

Bloomberg The Biden administration’s first evacuation flight for Afghans who aided American and other coalition forces has arrived in the US, as the administration steps up efforts to relocate interpreters, other military assistants and their families ahead of a final troop withdrawal. The plane, carrying more than 200 people, landed at Fort Lee in Virginia, where passengers were to undergo ...

Bloomberg The final day for Malaysia’s special parliament sitting on Monday has been postponed indefinitely because of the risk from a recent outbreak of Covid cases. The deferment follows a risk assessment by the health ministry, which found that the parliament’s locality is at risk of the spread of infections, according to a letter from the House of Representatives secretary ...