Politics

Bloomberg Ukrainian authorities moved towards declaring a nationwide state of emergency after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two breakaway territories, ratcheting up tensions with Kyiv and sparking concerns about a potential broader conflict. The measure, announced by Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov in Kyiv on Wednesday, would empower communities across the country of 41 million to impose restrictions. ...

  Bloomberg China temporarily detained a diplomat working at Japan’s embassy in Beijing this week, prompting protests from Japanese officials. The person was briefly detained Monday afternoon by Chinese authorities, according to statements from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassy, which said the actions were a breach of an international agreement protecting diplomats. The Chinese embassy in Tokyo rejected ...

  Bloomberg Thailand will further relax entry rules for foreign visitors starting next month, bowing to demand from the local tourism industry to lower costs as more countries ease border controls to lure holidaymakers. Vaccinated visitors to the Southeast Asian nation won’t be required to undergo a mandatory polymerase chain reaction test on the fifth day of the arrival starting ...

Bloomberg While most diplomats at an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting condemned Vladimir Putin’s government for escalating tensions with Ukraine, China’s envoy carefully avoided any mention of Russia. “All parties concerned must exercise restraint and avoid any action that may fuel tensions,” Ambassador Zhang Jun said as part of a six-sentence statement. “The current situation in Ukraine is a ...

  Bloomberg US and European governments threatened new sanctions after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised two self-proclaimed separatist republics in eastern Ukraine and ordered troops sent to them in the latest escalation of Moscow’s standoff with the West. Russia gave no details on how many “peacekeeping” troops might go into the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, or when, as ...

  Bloomberg A shootout between suspected robbers and police on the outskirts of Johannesburg’s city centre left eight people dead, Police Minister Minister Bheki Cele said. Police opened fire on several gunmen in Rosettenville who were planning to attack a truck ferrying cash in South Africa’s commercial hub, Cele said in an interview broadcast on eNCA television. Eight of the ...

Bloomberg Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to travel to Moscow on Wednesday, the first bilateral meeting between the two nations in over two decades even as a standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine has escalated sharply. Khan will have “wide-ranging” discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on bilateral, regional and international topics during the two-day visit, ...

Bloomberg New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern denounced protesters occupying parliament grounds after some ugly clashes with police. “The attacks on police have been absolutely disgraceful,” Ardern told reporters. “Clearly there are a group who are increasingly acting out in a violent way toward the police.” As the protest against vaccine mandates in downtown Wellington entered its 15th day, police ...

Bloomberg Chinese officials have told Hong Kong that they think a lockdown will be needed to contain surging Covid-19 cases, according to people familiar with the discussions, with the city’s government conceding some kind of targeted stay-at-home restrictions may be necessary if the situation continues to spiral out of control. The two sides have been meeting frequently to discuss Hong ...

Bloomberg The Kremlin said there are “no concrete plans” for a summit between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, throwing into question the fate of a French proposal that seemed to offer fresh hope for averting an alleged Russian plan to attack Ukraine. US officials said the meeting, proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, would occur only ...