Politics

Bloomberg For decades, Hong Kong served as a bridge between China and Taiwan. Now, that appears to be just one more thing that’s changing in the former British colony. China’s insistence that Taiwanese officials as a condition of stay in Hong Kong sign a statement agreeing that both sides belong to “one China” adds pressure on Taipei to close its ...

Bloomberg An Indonesian state-owned drugmaker plans to start human trials of Sinovac Biotech Ltd’s coronavirus vaccine next month and aims to begin commercial production early next year. PT Bio Farma will administer the vaccine supplied by Beijing-based Sinovac on 1,620 people in the age group of 18 to 59 years, company’s President Director Honesti Basyir said in a statement. The ...

Bloomberg The mask may have reached a tipping point. President Donald Trump’s administration pushed to encourage mask-wearing, explicitly endorsing a measure widely seen as crucial to stemming the coronavirus pandemic, and potentially quelling a bitter debate that experts say costs lives. The president, who for months resisted covering his face in public, tweeted that “it is Patriotic to wear a ...

Bloomberg US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo praised Britain’s tougher stance on China as the transatlantic allies signalled they are planning more coordinated action against Beijing. Pompeo said he wants to build a “coalition” that understands the “threat” posed by China, after talks with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in London on Tuesday. At a press conference following their meeting, ...

Bloomberg The UK is about to test the risks of a wider confrontation with China that’s been a long time coming. The next act is playing out when Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab addresses Parliament. The top diplomat has dropped a heavy hint the UK will suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, a former colony it handed back to China ...

Bloomberg Fighting between Nigerian troops and an armed group in the country’s northwest left at least 20 people dead, the military said. Fatalities in the confrontation in the Jibia district of Katsina state included three soldiers and 17 others described as cattle rustlers and kidnappers by Benard Onyeuko, the defense headquarters spokesman, in an emailed statement. Onyeuko denied media reports ...

Bloomberg President Donald Trump said he would resume his briefings to the public on the coronavirus pandemic, as infections surge around the country. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said he would probably hold a briefing on Tuesday at 5 pm in Washington. “We have had this big flare up in Florida, Texas, a couple of ...

Bloomberg Kim Jong-un’s latest appearance, in which he dressed down officials building a showcase hospital, illustrates why the North Korean leader can’t afford to languish under sanctions forever if he wants to fix his economy. In a visit to the Pyongyang General Hospital, Kim lashed out at the building committee over “serious problems in economic organisation for the construction,” the ...

Bloomberg European Union efforts to agree on a 750 billion-euro ($856 billion) stimulus package ran into trouble as leaders were unable to reconcile differences over how much of the recovery fund should be distributed through grants versus low-interest loans. European Council President Charles Michel floated a new proposal that would reduce the size of handouts to 400 billion euros, down ...

Bloomberg Scores of Russia’s business and political elite have been given early access to an experimental vaccine against Covid-19, according to people familiar with the effort, as the country races to be among the first to develop an inoculation. Top executives at companies including aluminum giant United Co Rusal, as well as billionaire tycoons and government officials began getting shots ...