Bloomberg President Joe Biden agreed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “killer,†and said in an interview with ABC News on Wednesday that Russia would pay for alleged interference in US elections. His comments, came the same day as a US intelligence community report that Putin ordered influence operations to hurt Biden’s candidacy, favouring former President Donald Trump just ...
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Atlanta shootings put spotlight on crimes against Asians in US
Bloomberg At least eight people were killed in shootings at three Asian massage parlors in the Atlanta area, sparking questions about how the US can curb the discrimination and violence against Asians that has escalated during the coronavirus pandemic. Police arrested Robert Aaron Long, 21, in connection with all three incidents. Atlanta area authorities said at least six of the ...
Read More »Johnson’s global Britain blueprint hit by China human rights row
Bloomberg Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted the UK must be ready to increase trade with China, in the face of criticism that his government is putting commercial deals ahead of security and human rights. Setting out his principles for the UK’s future foreign and defense policy, Johnson told Parliament his administration would defend its values as well as its interests. ...
Read More »Denmark dispatches vessel to West African Gulf to fight piracy
Bloomberg Denmark will send a naval vessel to West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea to aid the fight against rampant piracy. The decision follows a call by A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S and shipping industry groups for a more assertive international response to kidnappings that occur in the region. The waters in the area are the most dangerous for seafarers worldwide, accounting for ...
Read More »Merkel’s bloc sinks amid calls for health minister’s removal
Bloomberg Support for German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc slumped to its lowest in a year as discontent over the government’s handling of the vaccination rollout mounts and some opposition leaders called for her to fire the health minister. The stuttering pace of inoculation, irritation with months of lockdown restrictions and a scandal over allegations that some conservative lawmakers profited ...
Read More »UK to expand nuclear arsenal in biggest shift since Cold War
Bloomberg The UK plans to bolster its stockpile of nuclear weapons to counter growing threats around the world, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced as he unveiled a radical overhaul of defense and foreign policy. Under a blueprint for the next decade, the UK will cut troop numbers, tanks and some fighter jets, according to a person familiar with the matter, ...
Read More »China warns EU ‘haters’ over human rights sanctions
Bloomberg China warned the European Union (EU) not to interfere in its national security affairs, saying any sanctions over human rights abuses — based on “lies†— could fuel the confrontation. “I am deeply concerned about possible sanctions,†China’s ambassador to the EU, Zhang Ming, said during a European Policy Centre event on Tuesday. “If some insist on confrontation, we ...
Read More »Russia criticises US for pressing Brazil to reject its vaccine
Bloomberg Russia condemned the US for applying diplomatic pressure on Brazil to reject its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, adding that attempts at political meddling in inoculation campaigns were costing lives. The US Department of Health and Human Services said in its annual report published in January that its Office of Global Affairs sought to persuade Brazil not to allow the ...
Read More »US-China talks linked to Australia ties
Bloomberg US relations with China won’t improve until Beijing stops its economic coercion against America’s close regional ally, Australia, a senior aide to President Joe Biden told the Age newspaper. The administration has told the Chinese government that the US wasn’t going to leave Australia alone on the field, Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council’s Asia coordinator, said in an ...
Read More »Malaysia’s Anwar says no more lawmakers will defect
Bloomberg Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said no more lawmakers will leave the party for the ruling government, adding that members remain steadfast in the wake of defections. “We are not going to compromise on the values and principles that the party has adopted so far,†he said at a media briefing on Tuesday. “Our party members will remain steadfast ...
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