Bloomberg China rebuffed an appeal by the U.S. State Department for the release of three labor activists detained while investigating working conditions at a factory that manufactured Ivanka Trump brand shoes. The suspects are accused of using spying and monitoring equipment, and the investigation is ongoing, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in response to a question at a regular …

Bloomberg Congress should extend the US government’s borrowing authority before lawmakers depart for their traditional August vacation, the White House said, as the Trump administration sought to ratchet up pressure on Capitol Hill to avoid an unprecedented default on the national debt. “We’re looking for before they adjourn for August recess,” White House legislative affairs director Marc Short told reporters …

Bloomberg BHP Billiton Ltd.’s board is being targeted for a sweeping overhaul by Tribeca Global Natural Resources Fund, opening a potential new front in the burgeoning activist campaign against the world’s biggest mining company. The Sydney-based hedge fund, which last month joined billionaire Paul Singer’s Elliott Management Corp. in calling for changes aimed at shifting strategy at BHP, believes about …