Bloomberg The US State Department urged China to engage in dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected representatives and cease putting military, diplomatic and economic pressure on the island. The US statement came as Taiwan said a fleet of 13 Chinese military planes, including eight H-6K bombers, entered its air defense identification zone, in an apparent stepping up of Beijing’s almost constant ...

Bloomberg UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson became the first European leader to speak with US President Joseph Biden since his inauguration in a phone call that focused on ways to strengthen bilateral ties, collective defense and fight climate change. Biden pledged to work closely with Johnson as the UK hosts both the G-7 and the United Nations Climate Change conference ...

Bloomberg Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is resisting pressure to resign in the run-up to a critical vote in the Senate that could topple his fragile administration, newspapers said. While the premier isn’t currently planning to quit, he may change his mind if he fails to recruit enough senators ahead of a vote on Wednesday or Thursday to approve the ...

Bloomberg Supporters of opposition leader Alexey Navalny held Russia’s biggest anti-Kremlin protests since at least 2018, braving clashes with riot police and freezing temperatures to demand his release from jail. Tens of thousands turned out in dozens of cities across the world’s largest country, defying the authorities’ warnings that they may face charges of “mass disorder” for the unauthorised protests. ...

Bloomberg The Congress of South African Trade Unions, a key ally of the country’s ruling African National Congress, has attacked the party for everything from delays in securing Covid-19 vaccines to failing to provide income support for workers affected by the pandemic. In a submission to a meeting of the ANC’s top decision-making body, the National Executive Committee, the 1.8 ...

Bloomberg Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said “help is on the way,” as the country reels from a rise in coronavirus infections and deaths that have claimed the lives of two members of his cabinet. In a televised address, Mnangagwa said government was engaging countries that have developed vaccines and once secured, they would be given first to health-care workers. “Help ...

Bloomberg Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she remains committed to a legal referendum on independence after her party set out a plan of action should the UK government continue to refuse to grant one. The Scottish National Party (SNP) leader said that if the party wins May’s regional election in Scotland, the UK’s position will be untenable because voters ...

Bloomberg President Joe Biden is discovering the limits of his power to boost world’s largest economy on his own, as congressional opposition to his sweeping stimulus plan hardened soon after he was inaugurated. While publicly urging Congress to swiftly pass his $1.9 trillion proposal — warning of rising unemployment, hunger and homelessness if lawmakers don’t act — Biden issued more ...

Bloomberg Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to do “whatever it takes” to help UK workers through the pandemic, in a further sign the government will extend its job support plan. Asked whether the furlough program would be extended past April if the UK remained under lockdown, Johnson said the government would “support livelihoods” as it had done through the crisis. ...

Bloomberg US credit card delinquencies reached record-low levels in 2020, as Americans took advantage of stimulus checks and adjusted their spending habits, according to a new report. Delinquencies on bank-issued cards stood at 1.53% in the third quarter of 2020, virtually unchanged from the previous quarter, after rising to 2.62% at the onset of the pandemic as millions of Americans ...