Politics

Bloomberg A South Korean court dismissed a lawsuit filed against Japanese companies to compensate Koreans who were conscripted to work in factories during World War II, in a case that has raised tensions between the two US allies. The Seoul Central District Court ruled on Monday that the 85 former labourers and their families suing the 16 Japanese companies, including ...

Bloomberg Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced free shots for all adults in an address to the nation, a move prompted by criticism of his administration’s handling of India’s deadly second virus wave and a botched vaccination roll out. In a half hour-long address on national television, Modi said all Indians above the age 18 will be vaccinated for free starting ...

Bloomberg Armin Laschet boosted his chances of succeeding Angela Merkel as German chancellor by helping secure a decisive victory for his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the country’s poorest state. In the final regional contest before the national vote in September, the 60-year-old party leader showed he can successfully guide Merkel’s party in a tight campaign. The outcome will help ...

Bloomberg Thousands demonstrated against a Chinese university’s planned campus in Budapest, saying the project reflects Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s disregard for democratic values. Mayor Gergely Karacsony led the protest against the government-backed $1.8 billion plan, which has mobilised opposition supporters in the capital ahead of next year’s general election. The rally was the first opportunity for residents to protest ...

Bloomberg Officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations completed a visit to Myanmar after two days of discussions with military leaders about the path to peace in the country, which has been in upheaval since the February 1 coup and violent suppression of pro-democracy protesters. Brunei’s Second Minister of Foreign Affairs, Erywan Pehin Yusof, and Asean Secretary-General Lim Jock ...

Bloomberg Donald Trump began his public re-emergence with a rambling speech in which he aired longstanding grievances, highlighted his actions as president, and decried President Joe Biden and Democrats for undoing them. The former president spoke for about 90 minutes at the North Carolina Republican Party’s convention in Greenville. He’s expected to restart campaign-style rallies this summer, as Republicans look ...

Bloomberg President Vladimir Putin said Russia doesn’t want to stop using the dollar as he accused the US of exploiting the currency’s dominance for sanctions and warned the policy may rebound on Washington. Russia has to adopt other payment methods because the US “uses its national currency for various kinds of sanctions,” Putin said in St Petersburg at a videoconference ...

Bloomberg Suspected extremists killed at least 100 people and injured dozens more in an attack on a village in northern Burkina Faso, the government said. The attackers opened fire into a populated area of Solhan, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said in a tweet. Several homes and the village’s market were burnt down, a government spokesman said in a separate ...

Bloomberg North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made his first public appearance in about a month, with state media showing him at a Party meeting that discussed ways to improve the country’s deteriorating economy. Kim, wearing his signature black Mao suit, said it was time to take “additional state measures for solving pending problems urgent for the economic work and people’s ...

Bloomberg Malaysia will summon China’s ambassador to protest flights by 16 air force planes over the South China Sea that Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein says were a “breach of Malaysian airspace and sovereignty.” The “suspicious” Chinese aircraft were spotted near the East Malaysian state of Sarawak, the Royal Malaysian Air Force said in a statement. They entered the Malaysian maritime ...