Bloomberg Russia’s war on Ukraine has triggered a profound reassessment in European capitals of their individual and collective relations with China. Confronted by the need to rapidly unwind a dependence on Russian energy built up over decades, government officials from Rome to Prague are re-evaluating the extent of their economic and political ties to China. Senior lawmakers in Berlin who ...
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Presidents of Ukraine, Russia accept G-20 invite from Indonesia
Bloomberg The presidents of Russia and Ukraine have accepted invitations from Indonesia, the current chair of the Group of 20, for a big ticket summit in November. The decision to invite both leaders shows the delicate balance the Southeast Asian country is trying to make as the G-20 host this year. Russia is a member of the G-20, and the ...
Read More »Sri Lanka leaders signal PM may quit as inflation surges to 30%
Bloomberg Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is willing to drop his brother as prime minister, according to a top leader, as a fresh surge in inflation threatens to renew calls for the family to resign. Rajapaksa has agreed to form an all-party government with a new PM, local media reported citing Maithripala Sirisena, a former president who was part of ...
Read More »Sinn Fein leads in poll ahead of election
Bloomberg Sinn Fein looks set to become the largest party in Northern Ireland’s assembly, potentially marking a historic shift in the region’s political balance, according to a poll ahead of next week’s election. The nationalist party, whose ultimate goal is a united Ireland, drew 26% support in LucidTalk’s final poll for the Belfast Telegraph ahead of the May 5 vote. ...
Read More »House panel plans eight hearings on Capitol riot
Bloomberg The findings of a House select committee’s investigation into the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol will be presented to the nation in eight separate public hearings spread out over June, the panel’s chairman said. Planning is under way for a mixture of televised hearings in prime-time and others to occur during the daytime, Representative Bennie Thompson, a ...
Read More »German parliament backs heavy weapons supplies for Ukraine
Bloomberg Germany’s parliament urged the government to quickly supply Ukraine with heavy weapons and other equipment to help its defense against Russia. The three parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition and the largest opposition group — which combined hold over 80% of the seats in the lower house of parliament — teamed up to support a motion in a show ...
Read More »Reports of naval base on Solomon Islands is ‘fake news’: China
Bloomberg China denied reports that it plans to build a naval base in the Solomon Islands, with a Defense Ministry spokesman calling them “fake news.†Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a Chinese military base in the Solomon Islands would be a “red line†for his government, after Beijing signed a security pact with the government in Honiara. The ...
Read More »Modi weighs replacing India’s religion-based laws before polls
Bloomberg Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is weighing the political costs of replacing India’s religion-based marriage and inheritance laws with a uniform civil code ahead of national elections in 2024, according to people involved in the plan, a move that risks alienating a broad spectrum of voters. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has begun the process to implement uniform civil ...
Read More »Kim Jong-un appears to lower his guardrails for nuclear strike
Bloomberg North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to have lowered his threshold for a nuclear strike, raising the risks for a miscalculation as he rolls out new weapons whose uses range from nearby tactical strikes to threatening the US homeland from afar. Kim signalled a looser policy towards his possible use of atomic weapons at a military parade in Pyongyang ...
Read More »Bipartisan immigration meet to be convened
Bloomberg A bipartisan group of senators was expected to meet to discuss options for passing immigration legislation this year. “The idea is to get as many bipartisan bills we can find that have goals that will add up to 60,†Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said, referring to the Senate’s threshold for passing most legislation. Sens John Cornyn (R-Texas), Thom ...
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