Politics

Bloomberg Taiwan has been left “hurt” and confused by contradictory signals coming out of Washington over a possible visit to Taipei by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi is planning a trip to Asia that would include a visit to Taiwan, according to people familiar with the matter. It would be the first by a House speaker to Taipei since 1997. ...

  Bloomberg China’s Xi Jinping wished US President Joe Biden a speedy recovery from Covid-19, as the two leaders prepare to speak over the phone to ease tensions between the two largest economies. The Chinese president sent the goodwill message to Biden, 79, on Friday, state broadcaster China Central Television said. Biden tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, contracting the ...

  Bloomberg Singapore carried out its fifth execution for drug-related crimes in less than four months, Amnesty International said, while neighbors Malaysia and Thailand move to relax punishments for similar offenses. Nazeri bin Lajim was hanged Friday for possession of 33.4 grams (1.2 ounces) of heroin a decade ago, the rights group said, as Singapore continued to press ahead with ...

Bloomberg An international deal to restart grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports that have been blocked since Russia’s invasion is expected to be signed Friday, potentially easing concerns of a global food crisis. The agreement could help revive the crops trade from one of the world’s biggest wheat, corn and vegetable-oil exporters. However, it is unclear how the deal ...

  Bloomberg Russia and China’s deepening military cooperation that has included joint air and navy drills is raising security concerns in the region, Japan said in its first annual defense report issued since Moscow invaded Ukraine. In the report released Friday, the Defense Ministry detailed renewed concerns about the security of Taiwan, which China sees as territory that must be ...

  Bloomberg The European Union ramped up its legal campaign against the UK over breaches to the Brexit deal, days after legislation allowing Britain to scrap parts of the Northern Ireland protocol cleared the House of Commons. On Friday, the European Commission launched four additional infringement proceedings against the UK, claiming the government had failed to comply with customs and ...

Bloomberg Mario Draghi resigned as Italy’s prime minister, throwing the country into turmoil and putting it on course for snap elections as soon as early October. The former European Central Bank chief delivered his decision to President Sergio Mattarella Thursday morning. The government will continue in a caretaker role to handle ongoing business but its influence will be minimal. Mattarella, ...

Bloomberg President Joe Biden says he expects to speak to Chinese leader Xi Jinping “within the next 10 days,” as the US considers whether lifting some tariffs on Chinese imports would help stem rampant inflation. Already-tense relations between the two largest economies have deteriorated over China’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “I think I’ll be talking to President ...

  Bloomberg The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency said Russia’s interest in buying drones from Iran for its war in Ukraine reveals the poor state of its military. “It’s true that the Russians are reaching out to the Iranians to try to acquire armed drones,” CIA Director William Burns said during a three-hour stop at the Rocky Mountain ...

Bloomberg Liz Truss has undergone a political reinvention to become the favorite to succeed Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative party and UK Prime Minister. The Foreign Secretary campaigned for Britain to remain in the European Union before embracing Brexit with the zeal of a convert after the vote went the other way. And she’s gone from yelling slogans ...