Politics

  Bloomberg The crisis engulfing Boris Johnson’s government deepened as four top aides quit, with one unleashing a devastating attack on his judgment. The UK prime minister’s chief of staff, Dan Rosenfield, and his principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds both resigned on Thursday, as did his director of communications, Jack Doyle. Chancellor Rishi Sunak also gave a subtle rebuke to ...

  Bloomberg House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned US Olympic athletes to avoid acts of protest while in China for the winter games to avoid retaliation by the “ruthless” government in Beijing. “I would say to our athletes — you are there to compete. Do not risk incurring the anger of the Chinese government because they are ruthless,” Pelosi in testimony ...

Bloomberg Hong Kong national security police arrested a 75-year-old pro-democracy activist, according to a Chinese state media report that called him an “anti-China disruptor.” Koo Sze-yiu, a member of the League of Social Democrats, was arrested shortly after 6 a.m. Friday on suspicion of inciting subversion of state power under the city’s national security law, according to China’s official Xinhua ...

  Bloomberg Russia said it was destructive for President Joe Biden to move additional troops to Europe and station more along Nato’s eastern flank, as French President Emmanuel Macron prepares for his third call in a week with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Ukraine. Putin is expected to speak to reporters Thursday after meeting with Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez, ...

  Bloomberg President Vladimir Putin said Russia and China play an “important stabilizing role” in international politics ahead of a meeting this week with Xi Jinping in Beijing. Putin, who is heading to the Chinese capital to attend the Winter Olympics, said discussion of “relevant international topics” will be a key part of the visit, seemingly a reference to current ...

  Bloomberg Myanmar’s military government will not be invited to a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers later this month, VOA Khmer reported Wednesday, citing a Cambodian Foreign Ministry official. The Myanmar junta made little progress in implementing a consensus agreed with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to stop violence, Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Chum Sounry was quoted as ...

  Bloomberg The FBI is investigating a series of bomb threats against several historically black colleges and other institutions across the country this week as hate crimes. “This investigation is of the highest priority for the bureau and involves more than 20 FBI field offices across the country,” the FBI said in a statement. “These threats are being investigated as ...

  Bloomberg New Zealand will finally begin reopening to the world at the end of this month as frustration mounts over a border that’s been closed for almost two years to keep out Covid-19. The border will reopen to vaccinated New Zealanders from Australia at midnight on February 27 and from the rest of the world at midnight on March ...

  Bloomberg Northern Ireland First Minister Paul Givan quit on Thursday, triggering a political crisis as the UK and the European Union struggle to resolve the region’s post-Brexit trading arrangements. “Today marks the end of what has been the privilege of my lifetime — to serve as the first minister of Northern Ireland,” Givan told reporters in Belfast. Givan’s departure ...

  Bloomberg Thousands of additional US and allied soldiers on the ground in Eastern Europe may not alter Russia’s military calculus on Ukraine. But the commitment is a boon to Nato member states near Russia’s border. From Washington to Paris, governments have vowed to boost readiness and dispatch troops and hardware to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine —and show solidarity ...