Bloomberg Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he’s “confident†the UK will be able to resolve Brexit issues relating to Northern Ireland and played down fears Britain’s split from the European Union will sour relations with US President-elect Joe Biden. Raab said Boris Johnson’s government has reassured Biden’s team the UK has “no intention of imperiling†Ireland’s peace process and the ...
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Joe Biden wins US presidency after bitter contest with Trump
Bloomberg Joseph Robinette Biden Jr has defeated Donald Trump to become the 46th US president, unseating the incumbent with a pledge to unify and mend a nation reeling from a worsening pandemic, faltering economy and deep political divisions. Biden’s victory came after the Associated Press, CNN and NBC showed him winning Pennsylvania and gaining more than the 270 Electoral College ...
Read More »Brexit talks continue but UK’s Johnson, EU warn of differences
Bloomberg UK PM Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used a phone call on Saturday to plot the way forward towards a Brexit deal, but said that large differences still need to be bridged if there is to be an agreement. The prime minister and the EU’s chief official will now allow their negotiators to resume ...
Read More »Malaysia imposes virus curbs in states
Bloomberg Malaysia imposed a month-long conditional movement order in most states as the number of daily coronavirus cases hit a record. The restrictions will end on December 6, Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob told reporters. The partial lockdown in capital Kuala Lumpur, as well as the states of Selangor and Sabah will be extended when it expires on Monday, he ...
Read More »Trump-Biden vote fight may be too close to call for days
Bloomberg Close contests in five key states mean the US presidential election may not be decided for days, or longer, even as President Donald Trump’s falsely claimed victory over Democrat Joe Biden with millions of ballots still to be counted. As of 6 am New York time on Wednesday, Biden had 238 electoral votes while Trump had 213, leaving both ...
Read More »Italy readies national curfew due to virus
Bloomberg Italy is poised to ban people from leaving or entering cities and towns in high-risk areas, likely including the financial capital Milan, as part of the government’s latest attempt to check the rapid spread of the coronavirus. A 10 pm to 5 am curfew will also be imposed across the country, according to a draft decree seen by Bloomberg. ...
Read More »Ethiopia risks descent into civil war over row
Bloomberg Ethiopia’s leader ordered the military to respond to an alleged attack on an army camp in the restive Tigray region, escalating a standoff between the federal and state governments. Military operations began in Tigray overnight and a six-month state of emergency has been declared in the northern region, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s spokeswoman Billene Seyoum said by phone on ...
Read More »Protesters spurn reconciliation plan in Thailand
Bloomberg Thai pro-democracy activists rejected a parliament-initiated plan to form a reconciliation committee, calling it a “political ploy to buy time,†and reiterated the demand for the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha. The Thai parliament is setting up a committee to discuss the demands of the protesters in a bid to ease political tensions and restart the stalled ...
Read More »UK lockdown all set to pass despite Tory revolt
Bloomberg Boris Johnson was set to push fresh coronavirus lockdown rules through the UK Parliament on Wednesday, facing down rebels in his own Conservative Party who reject the erosion of civil liberties they entail. The regulations were due to take effect from Wednesday, enforcing the closing of gyms and non-essential shops in England, and restricting social contact between households. The ...
Read More »Americans face stark choice as Election Day 2020 dawns
Bloomberg Election Day 2020 was underway and for American voters the choices couldn’t be more stark. Donald Trump was a novelty four years ago, a reality television star and real estate developer with a penchant for bombast and Twitter insults. The 74-year-old president has erased any notion that the Oval Office would tame him, thrilling Republicans by cutting regulations and ...
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