Politics

Bloomberg Russia’s defense chief told President Vladimir Putin that Moscow’s troops have captured Lysychansk, the last major Ukrainian-held city in Luhansk, state media reported. The move would give Russia a stronger grasp on its goal of controlling Ukraine’s entire Donbas, an important industrial region. A Ukrainian defense official said Lysychansk is not under the “full control” of Russia. The capture ...

  Bloomberg British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party is projected to lose at least 24 battleground seats to Liberal Democrats, a new poll shows, underscoring the swing seen in last month’s special election. Among 64 Tory constituencies where the Lib Dems won more than 20% of the votes in the 2019 general election, the ruling party is expected to ...

  Bloomberg Authorities in Sydney asked thousands of people to evacuate their homes as torrential rain lashes Australia’s largest city, causing widespread flooding. A severe weather warning for heavy rainfall and damaging winds was in place Sunday across Sydney and surrounding areas, with the Bureau of Meteorology saying the downpour is expected to continue and may lead to flash flooding. ...

Bloomberg Germany’s government made a rare public statement admonishing the British government for plans to break the Brexit deal agreed with the European Union two years ago. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney wrote a letter in the Observer defending the Northern Ireland protocol, arguing that it upholds the Good Friday peace agreement and maintains ...

Bloomberg New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has again raised concerns about China’s ambitions in the Pacific, repeating her comment that Beijing “has become increasingly assertive in our region.” “In recent times, there has been growing interest in the Pacific,” Ardern said in a speech at Chatham House in London on Friday. “The foreign policy position of some of the ...

  Bloomberg Members of the House committee investigating the US Capitol attack by supporters of Donald Trump promised further revelations, after an ex-White House staffer’s portrayed the former president’s outbursts of rage. “We are following additional leads,” Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “I think those leads will lead to new testimony.” ...

Bloomberg Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised a “new dawn” in relations with France after arriving in Paris for a meeting to repair relations damaged over the unexpected cancellation of a billion-dollar submarine contract in 2021. Outside the Elysee palace, the premier was greeted by President Emmanuel Macron who said he too wanted to “speak about the future” and doesn’t ...

Bloomberg China has responded to New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern’s warning at the Nato summit that Beijing is becoming increasingly assertive and more willing to challenge international norms. “We have taken note of the relevant comment made by the New Zealand side at the Nato session, which includes some misguided accusations against China,” a spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy in Wellington said in a statement on its website dated June 30. The prime minister’s comments are “wrong” and “regrettable,” the statement said. “It is obvious that such comment is not helpful for deepening mutual trust between the two countries, or for the efforts made by the two countries to keep our bilateral relations on the right track,” the ...

  Bloomberg Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban appeared to strike a milder tone regarding Europe’s policy on Ukraine, all the while proceeding with a controversial nuclear project backed by Russia. Hungary won’t keep standing in the way of European Union sanctions except on vital matters of energy policy, he told public radio in an interview. While Budapest will still oppose ...

Bloomberg Representatives of indigenous organizations and Ecuador’s embattled government signed an agreement to end more than two weeks of nationwide protests over fuel prices and the high cost of living. Mediated by the Catholic Bishops Conference, the government of President Guillermo Lasso agreed to increase subsidies at the pump. With other measures pledged by the conservative administration, the total is ...