Politics

Bloomberg North Korea warned of a “nuclear arms race” after the US and UK agreed to give Australia technology to build nuclear-powered submarines, and vowed to take counteraction for any adverse impact on its own security. “These are extremely undesirable and dangerous acts which will upset the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region and trigger off a chain of nuclear ...

Bloomberg President Vladimir Putin’s ruling party claimed a decisive victory in legislative polls, although discontent eroded support in some areas and opponents alleged widespread fraud. United Russia was on track to maintain its majority of more than two-thirds of the seats in the State Duma with 99% of ballots counted, according to the Central Election Commission. While the ruling party ...

Bloomberg Developed countries’ pledges to provide $100 billion of annual financing, made over a decade ago and seen as key to unlocking upcoming climate talks, are unlikely to be met even five years after the target, according to a new report. That not only threatens the success at the United Nations climate talks in Glasgow starting in weeks, but also ...

Bloomberg Prime Minister Boris Johnson said post-Brexit trade disruption in Northern Ireland must be sorted quickly and urged the European Union to show “common sense” in negotiations with his government. He also said that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had offered to mediate between the EU and the UK in the dispute during his visit to London last week, in ...

Bloomberg President Vladimir Putin’s ruling party is set to win a decisive victory in legislative polls despite simmering discontent after sidelining political opponents. While Putin personally retains broad support, according to polls, his United Russia party recorded some of the lowest ratings in nearly a decade earlier this year, scorned by voters angry over stagnant living standards and unpopular policies. ...

Bloomberg Australian PM Scott Morrison said France was aware of Australia’s concerns on the capability of submarines being built by the European nation, defending his government’s decision to sign a new deal for nuclear-powered ones. Australia understands France’s disappointment but the decision was made on “sovereign, national defense interests,” Morrison said. “Ultimately, this was a decision about whether the submarines ...

Bloomberg President Joe Biden came to office promising to restore competency to US foreign policy after four years of Donald Trump’s diplomatic bomb-throwing. But eight months later, a series of missteps have angered allies, drawn criticism even from supporters and raised concern that Biden isn’t as sure-footed in international affairs as advertised. France even recalled its ambassador, a dramatic escalation ...

Bloomberg China announced naval and aerial military exercises were conducted in areas southwest of Taiwan, the second time in a month. Combat ships, early-warning aircraft and bombers were among the forces that joined the exercises “to improve integrated operational capability” in territory southwest of Taiwan, Shi Yi, spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement, ...

Bloomberg Malaysia joined Indonesia in expressing concern that a new security pact involving Australia, the US and the UK may spark a nuclear arms race in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison called his Malaysian counterpart Ismail Sabri Yaakob to explain that the formation of the tripartite group — known as AUKUS — was to help it acquire ...

Bloomberg US President Joe Biden suggested the possibility of an in-person meeting with Xi Jinping during a phone call last week, but the Chinese president declined to commit to one as he continues to avoid leaving his country even for major gatherings amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Biden suggested the two leaders meet at some point in the next few months, ...