Politics

Bloomberg Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong again warned the US and China to deescalate tensions, saying both powers presumed incorrectly they would win in any conflict. “The reality is, neither side can put the other one down,” Lee said on Tuesday, speaking by video link to the Aspen Security Forum. “I think that is a possible misunderstanding on both ...

Bloomberg Malaysia’s largest political party said it is retracting support for the ruling coalition shortly after one of its lawmakers resigned as a minister, putting the administration of embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in a limbo. Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, a member of the United Malays National Organisation, resigned as the nation’s energy minister Tuesday, shortly before a briefing by UMNO ...

Bloomberg Kim Jong Un’s sister warned that upcoming US-South Korea military drills could jeopardise talks with Seoul, raising doubts about a diplomatic breakthrough less than a week after both sides announced a resumption of communications. Kim Yo Jong said the plan to hold annual allied exercises this month “seriously undermines” efforts to restore ties, according to the official Korean Central ...

Bloomberg Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro lashed out against the country’s electronic voting system, rousing supporters who took to the streets in major cities over fears of cheating in next year’s election. The 2022 presidential contest should use paper ballots and have a public vote count to assure fraud doesn’t occur, Bolsonaro said in an address to backers that was posted ...

Bloomberg The Nigerian Police Service Commission has suspended a senior officer pending the outcome of an investigation into US charges against him for allegedly aiding an Instagram influencer’s scam to steal more than $1 million. Abba Kyari, a deputy commissioner in the Nigeria Police Force and head of Nigeria’s Intelligence Response Team, which tracks suspected kidnappers and terrorists, was relieved ...

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 ...