Bloomberg President Donald Trump is seeking to tie Joe Biden to activists’ calls to “defund the police” in an attempt to paint his likely 2020 opponent as weak on crime and vilify Democrats pushing for police reform, even though Biden hasn’t embraced the slogan. Two weeks of protests over the death of a black man in Minneapolis police custody have ...

Bloomberg Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government said it’s received no official word from Washington on plans to withdraw US troops from Germany, the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the two countries. “As of this hour, there is no official confirmation by the appropriate authorities in the United States whether these plans will really be carried out or not,” Defense Minister ...

Bloomberg Plans for the most sweeping changes to Russia’s constitution since it was adopted nearly 30 years ago include one big one: an amendment that could allow President Vladimir Putin remain in power until 2036. Russian voters could be forgiven for not noticing. In a nationwide ad campaign and the official website that explains the proposed amendments, which are subject ...

Bloomberg The prime minister of Sweden was forced to defend his Covid-19 strategy after opposition parties mounted a scathing attack on his government amid signs its handling of the pandemic has been fatally flawed. With more than 4,500 Swedes now dead as a result of the coronavirus, and Sweden’s chief epidemiologist admitting mistakes, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven was the target ...

Bloomberg Anti-government demonstrations broke out in several Brazilian cities as President Jair Bolsonaro suffers growing backlash against his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Protesters carrying signs in defense of democracy and against racism gathered in Brazil’s largest cities despite medical recommendations of social distancing, many encouraged by US demonstrations that followed the death of George Floyd. Pro-Bolsonaro marches also took ...

Bloomberg Sweden is stepping up efforts to shield its critical businesses from foreign takeovers at a time of economic weakness due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Interior Minister Mikael Damberg and Foreign Trade Minister Anna Hallberg on Monday unveiled a series of proposals. They include asking the Swedish Defense Research Agency to map out areas where foreign direct investments may have ...

Bloomberg German industrial production took a record-hit in April, before a gradual easing of lockdown restrictions set off an ever-so-slow recovery. Output slumped 17.9% during the month that saw unprecedented closures of factories and shops, with manufacturers of investment goods particularly badly affected. Even though activity has started to pick up since then, Europe’s largest economy is still set to ...

Bloomberg Spain has earmarked 9 billion euros ($10.2 billion) to help fund regional governments’ healthcare response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The central government will transfer 6 billion euros in September and as much 3 billion in November, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised statement. The measure will be approved by the cabinet through a decree on June 16, ...

Bloomberg Mexico asked the World Bank for a $1 billion loan, according to El Economista newspaper, which cited a loan agreement it viewed. Mexico Deputy Finance Minister Gabriel Yorio said the financing was a development policy loan and would not be used for its Covid-19 response program. Yorio did not say in his tweets how large the loan was. The ...

Bloomberg Two drugmakers behind the industry’s most prominent responses to the Covid-19 pandemic are looking into the possibility of a combined future as economies emerge from lockdowns. AstraZeneca Plc, co-developer of one of the fastest-moving experimental coronavirus vaccines, has made a preliminary approach to Gilead Sciences Inc., maker of the only US-approved treatment, according to people familiar with the matter. ...