Politics

Bloomberg Poland and Lithuania are blocking the European Union’s ninth package of sanctions against Russia, a government minister said ahead of a meeting of the bloc’s leaders. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told reporters in Vilnius that a proposed weakening on food security potentially opens a loophole and the possibility for sanctioned Russian oligarchs to increase their wealth. “We cannot ...

Bloomberg Nurses began a round of historic strikes across much of Britain, with protesters on picket lines saying they’re struggling to afford basic living costs such as food and accommodation. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said that as many as 100,000 staff were expected to take part in the strike across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in protest ...

  Bloomberg Poland’s plan to access frozen EU aid hit a snag after hardliners in the ruling coalition rejected a deal to roll back judicial changes and the president set conditions for his ratification of legislation. The proposal negotiated by the government with the European Commission would undo many contested judicial changes the government has introduced during its seven-year rule. ...

Bloomberg Japan will describe China as an “unprecedented strategic challenge” in a new national security policy set to be approved as early this week, according to a draft seen by Bloomberg. The new strategy, expected to get the green light from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s cabinet, amounts to an unprecedented overhaul of the country’s security and defense policy. The revisions ...

Bloomberg Brazil’s electoral court is investigating outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro, his running mate and some allies for allegedly casting doubt on the result of the October election and abusing their power during the campaign. Justice Benedito Gonçalves, general inspector of the court, opened the investigation to analyse allegations presented by the coalition of President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The ...

  Bloomberg The US sanctioned Vladimir Potanin, Russia’s richest tycoon and the president and biggest shareholder of mining giant MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC, but left his company untouched as it tries to maintain stability in the metals market. The action against Potanin was part of a broader sanctions package the Treasury Department rolled out targeting some 40 people linked to ...

Bloomberg The US is poised to send Patriot air and missile defense batteries to Ukraine pending final approval from President Joe Biden, two US officials said, fulfilling a key demand from Ukrainian leaders. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urgently sought the system, produced by Raytheon Technologies Corp.and Lockheed Martin Corp, saying Patriots are needed to counter the relentless barrage of Russian ...

  Bloomberg A Hong Kong court overturned the conviction of a prominent local democracy activist for her role in a banned Tiananmen memorial last year, in a rare victory for the city’s beleaguered opposition. Chow Hang Tung was cleared by the High Court of charges of inciting others to take part in an unauthorised assembly in June 2021 to commemorate ...

  Bloomberg The Philippines’ Department of National Defense said it “views with great concern the reported swarming” of Chinese vessels in the Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea. “Our lines remain open to dialogue,” the agency said. “However, we maintain that activities which violate our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, and undermine the peace and stability ...

Bloomberg US President Joe Biden is at pains to fix perceptions in Africa that the US has neglected the continent while China and Russia make inroads. He’ll get a chance when he hosts the first summit of its kind in eight years, one that will see him personally interact with leaders from the continent on trade, climate, and governance. The ...