Bloomberg New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern urged China to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying Beijing has benefited from international rules and has a duty to uphold them. “As history shows us repeatedly, when large countries disregard sovereignty and territorial integrity with a sense of impunity, it does not bode well particularly for small countries like New Zealand,†Ardern ...
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Kosovo puts off action on restive Serbs as tensions escalate
Bloomberg Kosovo agreed to postpone a plan to make government-issued identification cards and car plates mandatory for all residents after members of its restive Serb minority blockaded roads in protest. Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, delayed the planned rule until September 1 rather than imposing it on Monday as originally planned. Nato’s peace-keeping mission in the former ...
Read More »Junta chief: Myanmar will prioritise stability before holding elections
Bloomberg Myanmar will prioritize restoring stability before holding elections, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said a day after the military government extended the country’s state of emergency for another six months until February 1, 2023. The regime will prioritize improving the country’s public security system and restoring law and order to hold free and fair elections, Min Aung Hlaing ...
Read More »China holds live-fire drills near Taiwan as Pelosi heads to Asia
Bloomberg China held live-fire military drills in the Taiwan Strait on Saturday as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prepared to arrive in Asia. The exercises took place off the coast of Fujian province opposite Taiwan. A warning issued by the local maritime safety agency said the drills would be conducted near Pingtan, a county about 130 kilometers (81 miles) from ...
Read More »Ukraine’s first grain ship may depart on Monday, Turkey says
Bloomberg The first ship to export Ukrainian grain since an agreement was reached for the safe transit of vessels may depart as soon as Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said. “There are a few hitches, a few issues being discussed with the Russians,†Kalin said in an interview with Kanal 7 TV channel on Sunday, adding that ...
Read More »Midterm election misery for Biden as key economy gauge flags 30-seat loss
Bloomberg Whatever else is on Americans’ minds — and that’s a long list right now — the state of the economy looms large in any US election. That spells big trouble for Democrats in November’s midterm vote. A new study by Bloomberg Economics takes one gauge with a knack of predicting ballot outcomes and projects it forward through election day. ...
Read More »South Korea ruling party acting leader offers to quit
Bloomberg The acting leader of South Korea’s ruling party offered to resign over in-fighting in the People Power Party, adding to the growing woes for new President, Yoon Suk Yeol, whose approval ratings have plunged to historic lows. “Our party is currently facing a grave crisis,†Kweon Seong-dong, the acting leader of the People Power Party, said in his ...
Read More »Fidel Ramos, who helped end Marcos dictatorship, dies at 94
Bloomberg Fidel Ramos, the former Philippine president who was head of the national police under Ferdinand Marcos before defecting and joining the “People Power†protests that ousted the dictator in 1986, has died. He was 94. Ramos’ family announced his passing in a statement on Sunday, without giving a cause of death. He died of complications from Covid-19, according ...
Read More »Biden faces fresh showdown with Xi despite talk of summit
Bloomberg President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping ended their call Thursday with plans to hold their first face-to-face summit, but the US and China are unlikely to halt their bickering in the months before the two leaders finally meet. The world’s two largest economies risk a fresh showdown as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi kicks off an Asian tour Friday ...
Read More »US, Taliban discuss unlocking $3.5 billion in Afghan reserves
Bloomberg A US delegation met with senior Taliban officials in Uzbekistan to discuss efforts to unfreeze some $3.5 billion in central bank reserves as the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan deteriorates. The US delegation told the militant group and technocrats there was a need to accelerate efforts to unlock the reserves and reiterated the funds should be used to benefit the ...
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