Congress

The Caesar Act and what awaits Syria

Cutting Bashar al Assad's lifelines breathes new life into the struggle to unseat the dictator accused of war crimes.

US, China clash anew as top officials meet on tensions

Just as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Chinese official Yang Jiechi, Trump signed into law an act that authorises sanctions for Chinese officials involved in the detention of some one million minority Muslim Uighur ethnic group.

India on edge as it grapples with a twin dispute on its borders

India's shifting alliances means border disputes in its neighbourhood now come with higher stakes.

'Stop the pain,' George Floyd's brother testifies before US Congress

Protesters will take to the streets across the US again, a day after the funeral of George Floyd, whose death in police custody has ignited the biggest surge of anti-racism activism since the civil rights era of the 1960s.

Concealing virus is latest Bolsonaro effort to shore up base

With less than one-third of Brazilians approving Bolsonaro’s handling of the pandemic, and protests against him increasing, analysts say he's shoring up his base to shield himself from possible impeachment and improve governability.

US Democrats offer sweeping police reforms but no defunding

The legislation seeks to limit legal protections for police and create a national database of excessive-force incidents, among other changes. Whether Republican-controlled Senate will clear the bill is still unclear.

Tiananmen anniversary marked by crackdown, Hong Kong vigil ban

Many people in Hong Kong plan to commemorate the bloody 1989 crackdown by Chinese troops in and around Tiananmen Square by lighting candles across the city, circumventing a ban on the usual public gathering amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Hertz files for US bankruptcy as car rentals evaporate in pandemic

Hertz earlier laid off about 10,000 employees and said there was substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Its operating regions including Europe, Australia and New Zealand are not included in the US proceedings.

UK to put int'l arrivals in 14-day quarantine from June 8 – latest updates

The global coronavirus pandemic has affected more than five million people, with over 334,000 deaths. Here are coronavirus-related updates for May 22:

US to sell Taiwan $180M worth of torpedoes amid tense China relations

The announcement came on the same day Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen was sworn in for her second term in office, saying she strongly rejects China's sovereignty claims. China views Tsai as a separatist bent on formal independence for Taiwan.

Covid-19 side effects spell trouble for India's democracy

The muzzling of critical media and suspending labour laws are all worrying signs for Indian democracy.

White House says Trump fired State Dept watchdog at Pompeo's request

Democrats in Congress immediately cried foul, with the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee suggesting that Steve Linick was fired in part in retaliation for opening an unspecified investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.