Politics

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 ...

  Bloomberg Croatia won the EU’s endorsement to join the region’s visa-free travel area while Bulgaria and Romania’s bid was delayed. EU home affairs ministers agreed in Brussels that Croatia should be allowed to join the so-called Schengen area on January 1. This means the country will no longer be bound by the bloc’s internal border controls and paves the ...

Bloomberg A third Russian airfield came under drone attack on Tuesday after Moscow accused Ukraine of carrying out strikes against two bases used by its long-range bombers, the deepest retaliation on its territory since President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion. An oil storage tank caught fire after the drone strike at a Kursk region airfield, state-run Tass news service reported, ...

  Bloomberg European Union (EU) leaders may grant Bosnia-Herzegovina official candidacy status as early as December 15’s summit in Brussels, according to people familiar with the plan. The move, the next step on the long path towards membership which would require approval of all 27 EU member states, would be a major boost for Bosnia. It’s still grappling with the ...

Bloomberg The European Union’s standoff with Hungary deepened as a dispute over the fate of $14 billion of funding for Budapest scuppered attempts to push through crucial aid for Ukraine and a global minimum corporate tax. Hungarian Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said at a meeting with EU counterparts in Brussels that his country would veto the €18 billion ($18.9 billion) ...