Bloomberg Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim won a confidence vote in parliament, as he looks to prove the coalition he put together after last month’s election can govern effectively following years of political instability. Anwar won the support of the majority of lawmakers in a voice vote, according to Speaker Johari Abdul. The prime minister’s choice for parliamentary speaker earlier ...
Read More »Politics
Ramaphosa wins ANC leadership vote
Bloomberg Cyril Ramaphosa comfortably won re-election as head of South Africa’s governing party just weeks after a scandal threatened to derail his political career, and now faces an uphill battle to rebuild its flagging support heading into a national vote in 2024. Rampahosa allies also won most of the African National Congress’s (ANC) other six top party positions, giving ...
Read More »UK’s Rwanda asylum seeker policy is lawful, judges rule
Bloomberg The UK government’s flagship immigration policy plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful, London judges ruled. The plan, which involves flying asylum seekers arriving in Britain some 4,000 miles (6,437.4 kilometres) to the African nation to be processed according to Rwandan laws, spurred several legal challenges from human rights campaigners. The government has consistently backed the ...
Read More »North Korea fires two ballistic missiles, escalating tensions
Bloomberg North Korea fired at least two suspected medium-range ballistic missiles from near a site that a few days ago it tested a new solid-fuel rocket engine that could enhance its ability to launch quick-strike, longer-range missiles for delivering nuclear warheads. Two medium-range ballistic missiles were launched from the Tongchang county area, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Japan’s ...
Read More »Trump faces more woes in Jan 6 panel’s blockbuster finale
Bloomberg Donald Trump awaits the most serious blow yet from House lawmakers investigating the January 6 Capitol attack — a possible recommendation that he be prosecuted just as he’s launching a comeback bid for the White House. The committee is poised to decide on Monday whether to refer Trump and several advisers to the Justice Department for criminal charges for ...
Read More »Putin’s ambitions put Finland’s troops, tanks back in vogue
Bloomberg For much of the last 30 years Finland’s armed forces have looked a little old fashioned, still configured to fight a major land campaign in Europe as though the Cold War never ended. No more. As Finland readies to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) against the backdrop of Europe’s bloodiest war since 1945, in Ukraine, the Nordic ...
Read More »Fiji leader loses majority in election
Bloomberg Fiji’s long-time leader, Frank Bainimarama, failed to win a majority in elections held last week, leaving the Pacific island nation facing a hung parliament and a period of uncertainty as political parties look to form coalitions. Bainimarama’s Fiji First Party won 26 seats in the vote, according to Fijilive.com and data from the Fiji Elections Office. That’s two short ...
Read More »Irish PM faces housing crisis in second stint
Bloomberg Leo Varadkar took over as Ireland’s PM, or Taoiseach, for a second time as part of a coalition deal struck after the 2020 election, with an urgent housing crisis at the top of his agenda. The Fine Gael leader was elected by the country’s parliament with 87 votes to 62 and appointed to the role by the president ...
Read More »North Korea tests new engine for long-range missile strikes
Bloomberg North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the test of a new solid-fuel rocket engine that could enhance the state’s ability to fire off quick-strike, longer-range missiles for delivering nuclear warheads. State media said Kim “guided the important test†of a “high-thrust solid-fuel motor,†noting it was the first of its kind for the country. “This important test has provided ...
Read More »Putin to visit Belarus for talks with Lukashenko
Bloomberg Vladimir Putin is to travel to Belarus on Monday in his first visit in more than three years to his ally in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Alexander Lukashenko will host Putin in Minsk for talks on security and “joint measures to respond to emerging challenges,†as well as economic cooperation including on import substitution, according to a statement ...
Read More »