Politics

Bloomberg Poland’s finance minister wants political parties to vote in favour of a European Union pandemic relief package as the country will miss out on a cheap financing option to bolster the economy by failing to do so, the Financial Times (FT) reported. Tadeusz Koscinski, who was appointed finance minister by the ruling Law and Justice party, told the newspaper ...

Bloomberg Prime Minister Boris Johnson has a fondness for grand projects, but few are as eye-catching as the proposal for a physical link over the Irish Sea between Scotland and Northern Ireland. Whether a multi-billion-pound pipe dream or a token of ambition befitting the post-Brexit era, a feasibility study is underway as part of the government’s review of how to ...

Bloomberg Russia warned that growing violence in Ukraine could set off a broader military conflict, brushing off German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s call to pull back troops massed near the border. “The escalation of tensions in the southeast of Ukraine justifies the measures Russia is taking,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on a conference call, referring to the military buildup. “The ...

Bloomberg China’s ambassador to the US called for the two countries to take history as a guide to solve the disputes, in an apparent attempt to cool rising tensions between both nations. The two sides should carry forward the spirit of Ping-Pong diplomacy and seek common ground, Ambassador Cui Tiankai said in a recorded speech. He was speaking at an ...

Bloomberg The State Department restored rules governing officials’ contacts with Taiwan that were lifted in the Trump administration’s final days, but said the new version eased unneeded restrictions as the US looks to counter increasing encroachment by China on the island’s sovereignty. The new guidance “underscores Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and an important security and economic partner that is ...

Bloomberg The Pentagon announced plans to crack down on extremism in the ranks with new regulations, screening and training after troops and veterans participated in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a working group to rewrite the definition of prohibited extremist activity in the military, update questionnaires on past activity for new recruits ...

Bloomberg The European Union (EU) is set to postpone legal action against the UK for breaching the Northern Irish Brexit deal, according to two people familiar with the matter, as riots grip the province. The EU began proceedings last month after Britain unilaterally extended a waiver on checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain. The temporary exemption was ...

Bloomberg Norway’s prime minister, Erna Solberg, was fined 20,000 kroner ($2,350) for breaking her own government’s Covid restrictions in connection with a party celebrating her 60th birthday. The circumstances wouldn’t normally trigger a fine, but police suggested the country’s prime minister should be held to a higher standard. “Even though the law is the same for everyone, not everyone is ...

Bloomberg Russia announced the start of mass military drills, ratcheting up tensions with neighbouring Ukraine amid Western concerns about the risk of renewed fighting. More than 4,000 training exercises will be held in military districts across Russia in April, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, in comments posted on the ministry’s website. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated his country’s desire to ...

Bloomberg China urged Japan to steer clear of “internal issues” including Hong Kong and Xinjiang as Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga prepares to meet US President Joe Biden later this month. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi that he hoped Japan could treat China’s development from an “objective and rational” perspective, rather than be led by ...