Politics

Bloomberg Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha is set to face a no-confidence vote this week as opposition lawmakers target his government for its alleged mismanagement of the Covid-19 outbreak amid a renewed push by pro-democracy activists for the premier’s ouster and monarchy reforms. The opposition began grilling Prayuth and nine of his cabinet members as a four-day debate got underway ...

Bloomberg Beijing expressed “strong dissatisfaction” after 58 governments signed a declaration against detaining each-others’ citizens for geopolitical leverage, a move seen as targeting countries like Iran and China. “The Canadian side’s attempt to pressure China by using ‘Megaphone Diplomacy’ or ganging up is totally futile and will only head towards a dead end,” a spokesperson at the Chinese embassy in ...

Bloomberg Myanmar’s junta strengthened its grip on power over the weekend, ordering an internet blackout overnight and making it easier for authorities to make arrests as it looks to quell surging protests against its February 1 coup. Protests continued on Monday after tens of thousands of people continued to demonstrate in defiance of the military even as the regime stepped ...

Bloomberg Sudan accused Ethiopian forces of entering its territory, escalating a dispute over land that straddles their border. “Sudan strongly condemns the aggression carried out by Ethiopia, in which its forces entered into territories that legally belong to Sudan,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It described the incident as “a direct violation” of Sudanese sovereignty. Relations between Sudan ...

Bloomberg Time is “running out” to resolve an impasse with imprisoned Ethiopian opposition leaders who’ve spent almost three weeks without food, according to a lawyer for one of the key figures behind the protest. Media mogul Jawar Mohammed’s representative said the hunger strike was endangering the inmates’ lives and urged the government to seek a quick resolution. “We are running ...

Bloomberg Ex-Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti won snap elections in a comeback that could worsen already tense relations with neighbouring Serbia. Kurti’s party, whose last government lasted just four months, got 48% in the ballot, according to preliminary results with 97% of votes counted. Four other parties are also on track to enter parliament, as well as minority lawmakers who ...

Bloomberg Catalan separatist parties won a majority in the regional parliament in the election, but Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was one of the night’s big winners. Sanchez’s Socialist party won the most votes and saw its main national rival, the conservative People’s Party, suffer a humiliating defeat. All the same, the next regional leader is set to come from ...

Bloomberg Former President Donald Trump was acquitted by the Senate on the charge of inciting the January 6 riot at the Capitol after an unprecedented second impeachment trial that exposed a Republican Party deeply divided over Trump’s conduct and uneasy with his continued role in public life. The vote was 57-43, falling short of the two-thirds majority required for a ...

Bloomberg As President Joe Biden seeks to address racial inequities across the US, he’s turned to former congressman Cedric Richmond to help keep a promise to end discriminatory practices ranging from housing to voting rights — a task complicated by the risk of alienating Republicans whose support is needed on key legislative priorities. Richmond, a Louisiana lawmaker who led the ...

Bloomberg Myanmar’s military amended an existing law on privacy and security rights, giving it more power to detain people for longer and tap on their communications. The junta, led by Min Aung Hlaing, signed a law that would allow it to make arrests or search private premises without warrants, according to the office of the commander-in-chief of defense services. It ...