Politics

  Bloomberg The US is preparing a fresh round of sanctions on Russia and China for what it describes as human rights abuses by both countries, according to an official familiar with the matter. The sanctions against Russia were expected to focus on the country’s efforts to procure weapons — especially drones — which is also under heavy US sanctions. ...

  Bloomberg Pedro Castillo, the Peruvian leader ousted for trying to dissolve congress, faces as many as 20 years in prison if found guilty of the crime of rebellion, at a time when Mexico is offering him political asylum. Judge Juan Carlos Checkley ordered Castillo held through December 13 for additional investigations, considering him a flight risk. The seriousness of ...

Bloomberg Two senior Bangladeshi opposition leaders were arrested by plainclothes police officers as part of a crackdown ahead of a planned demonstration in the capital to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down and call for elections. Bangladesh has come under pressure in recent months as higher food and fuel costs have eaten into foreign currency reserves, prompting Hasina’s ...

Bloomberg South Korean truck drivers voted to end a two-week strike that has disrupted supply chains of key export industries. A majority of union members who voted agreed to return to work, according to an emailed statement. That came after the government ordered striking truckers in the steel and petrochemical industries back to work. The truckers’ strike has added to ...

Bloomberg China has dramatically scaled back purchases of Taiwanese fish this year, as Beijing seeks to punish the island’s democratically elected government for expanding ties with the US and its allies. China imported $56 million worth of fish and crustaceans in the six months from May to October, compared with $138 million during the same period a year earlier, according ...

Bloomberg While this week’s drone attacks on Russian airfields that the Kremlin blamed on Ukraine were of largely symbolic value, Kyiv’s apparent readiness to take the war to Vladimir Putin may be constrained by nervousness among its allies over his potential reaction. The strikes at three airfields, including ones used on bombing missions against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, boosted morale among ...

Bloomberg Malaysia’s anti-graft agency will summon former premier Muhyiddin Yassin and two ex-cabinet ministers who served in his administration for the alleged misappropriation of 600 billion ringgit ($136 billion) of public funds for tackling the pandemic. The other two are former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and ex-finance minister Zafrul Aziz, who now heads the international trade and industry ministry in ...

Bloomberg Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a landslide election in his home turf Gujarat, showing his appeal with voters remains intact despite higher living costs. The victory in the western state of Gujarat will help the 72-year-old leader build momentum for national elections due in less than 18 months. Modi is looking to extend his ...

  Bloomberg South Africa’s main opposition parties want President Cyril Ramaphosa to be subjected to impeachment proceedings after an advisory panel found he may have breached the constitution, leaving him reliant on the governing ANC to shield him from a parliamentary probe. The panel headed by Sandile Ngcobo, a former chief justice, issued a scathing assessment of Ramaphosa’s handling of ...

Bloomberg The US is set to pass legislation ramping up weapons sales to Taiwan and restricting government use of Chinese semiconductors, strengthening the White House’s hand while excluding measures considered most objectionable to Beijing. Language in the must-pass annual defense legislation reflects how lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have shown a growing willingness to confront China, despite White ...