Politics

Bloomberg Russia’s increased presence in Belarus, where it’s helping strongman President Alexander Lukashenko retain power amid a wave of demonstrations, is putting nearby countries on alert. One is Estonia, which like its Baltic neighbours has been edgy since Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backed a war on the two former allies’ border. More integration between Belarus ...

Bloomberg Malaysia appeared poised for a new round of political turmoil after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim claimed to have enough support from lawmakers to form a government. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin denounced the move and challenged Anwar to prove his assertion, while saying his administration remains firmly in control. Key members of his coalition signed a joint statement to reaffirm ...

Bloomberg After years of shifting the Philippines closer to China, President Rodrigo Duterte appears to be leaning back towards the US. The 75-year-old leader gave his most forceful defense yet of the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s 2016 ruling in favour of the Philippines that said Beijing’s expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea breached international law. Addressing the United ...

Bloomberg Kenya faces a historic decision to close parliament for failing to enact rules on fair gender representation in public bodies. Chief Justice David Maraga advised President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve the legislature after receiving six petitions on the matter. Lawmakers were supposed to have implemented the legislation by 2015, five years after Kenya adopted a new constitution that includes ...

Bloomberg China eased restrictions on some foreigners’ entry into the country, almost six months after it nearly sealed its borders to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Foreigners holding residence permits for work, personal matters and reunions will be allowed to enter China starting from September 28, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement posted on ...

Bloomberg Chinese President Xi Jinping took a veiled swipe at the US in a strongly worded speech, saying no country should “be allowed to do whatever it likes and be the hegemon, bully or boss of the world.” Pushing for developing countries to have a greater role in world affairs, Xi said the United Nations could be “more balanced” and ...

Bloomberg Boris Johnson told Britons to work from home when possible and ordered restaurants to close early as he sought to stamp out a resurgence of coronavirus in the weeks ahead. Under the new measures for England, which are likely to last six months, face coverings will become mandatory for passengers travelling in taxis and workers in the hospitality and ...

Bloomberg Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte saw off a challenge from opposition rival Matteo Salvini in local elections, strengthening the premier’s grip on his quarrelsome coalition ahead of negotiations over the European Union’s recovery fund. Parties in Conte’s year-old alliance, led by the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the center-left Democratic Party, held on to three regions including the leftist ...

Bloomberg Tropical Storm Beta was flooding southeastern Texas as it grinds along the coast, pounding it with heavy rain before meandering toward Louisiana. Beta was expected to stall inland over Texas on Tuesday and then move slowly northeastwards, according to an advisory from the National Hurricane Center at 5 am New York time. The storm was about 35 miles (56 ...

Bloomberg India’s lower house of parliament approved a set of long overdue labour legislations that aim to attract investment and make it easier for companies to do business in the South Asian nation. The new bills include the industrial relations code that will allow companies with as many as 300 workers to fire them without seeking prior government approval, a ...