Bloomberg US officials say Russia has asked China for military assistance for its war in Ukraine, a sign that the Biden administration is increasingly concerned about the role Vladimir Putin’s most powerful diplomatic partner could play in the conflict. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss delicate matters, did not specify what kind of equipment Moscow had ...
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Police move to clear Russian billionaire’s occupied mansion
Bloomberg A London mansion owned by members of Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska’s family has been occupied by protesters opposing the invasion of Ukraine, sparking a confrontation with police. The group made their way into the home on Belgrave Square — one of the city’s most affluent districts, according to a member of the group, who declined to give his name. ...
Read More »Strong quake of 6.7-magnitude strikes Indonesia’s Sumatra
JAKARTA / WAM A strong quake struck off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island early on Monday, sending residents fleeing from their homes, but no damage or victims were reported immediately. The shallow 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit at 4:06 am at a depth of 21 kilometres, with its epicentre 167 kilometres west of the coastal city of Pariaman, the ...
Read More »North Korea may test ICBM this week, Yonhap says
Bloomberg North Korea could launch an ICBM as soon as this week, the Yonhap News Agency reported, in what would be its most serious provocation in five years as South Korea undergoes a presidential transition and the world focuses on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. South Korea and the US have detected signs of an imminent test of an intercontinental ballistic ...
Read More »Hong Kong can’t impose snap lockdown: Lam
Bloomberg Hong Kong doesn’t have the infrastructure to roll out a lockdown and compulsory testing as swiftly as mainland China, according to Chief Executive Carrie Lam, whose announcement of a now-delayed city-wide test sparked chaos and confusion in the financial hub. The 17.5 million residents of the southern Chinese technology hub of Shenzhen were told that they’d go into a ...
Read More »Chinese Navy ship sailed within archipelago: Manila
Bloomberg The Philippines said a Chinese Navy ship entered waters within the archipelago without permission earlier this year, potentially expanding a territorial dispute beyond the South China Sea. The ship lingered in the Sulu Sea, which is surrounded by undisputed territory in the Philippine archipelago, for three days from late-January to early-February despite being challenged by a Philippine Navy ...
Read More »Russia hits Ukrainian military facility close to Polish border
Bloomberg Russian missiles hit a military training facility in western Ukraine close to the Polish border that had been used regularly by Nato before the invasion. The strike, which comes after Russia warned that convoys of Western military supplies for Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets, raised new concerns about the conflict potentially spilling over Ukraine’s borders. Initial reports suggest ...
Read More »White House reaches out to social-media influencers on Ukraine
Bloomberg White House officials including Press Secretary Jen Psaki briefed about 30 social-media influencers on US policy on Ukraine in an effort to counter Russian propaganda, a spokeswoman said. The creators, who are active mainly on Bytedance Ltd’s TikTok, were given an overview of the latest White House thinking on Ukraine during a video call, with material similar to that ...
Read More »Border talks between India, China end without resolution
Bloomberg Talks between military commanders of China and India to resolve a two-year-old border dispute — at its worst in four decades — were inconclusive, a joint statement issued by India’s Ministry of Defense said. A quick resolution of the border dispute would help “facilitate progress in bilateral relations,†the two sides said. This round of talks — the ...
Read More »Ramaphosa tightens hold on ruling party
Bloomberg A campaign for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to retain the leadership of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) when it holds internal elections in December is gathering momentum, with some key party officials throwing their weight behind him. “There is an emerging consensus that the president must get a second term,†Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola, ...
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