The stirrings of springtime show nature awakening. Coaxed by warming air and stronger sunlight, flowers unfurl on cherry trees and eager green buds burst forth from horse chestnuts. A little hope returns, as bees buzz and birds build nests. This year, it’s been happening a little earlier — and the reason isn’t hard to find. In Washington, the city’s ...

  The Cook Report’s Amy Walter points out that whether former President Donald Trump takes another run at the Oval Office or not, the 2024 presidential election will have at least one unusual feature. If President Joe Biden runs for re-election and wins the Democratic nomination, he’ll extend his own record for oldest major-party nominee. If he doesn’t run? Walter ...

  Bloomberg The UK will extend its price cap for energy bills beyond 2023 as it seeks to help 22 million households cope with rising costs. The measure, announced during the annual Queen’s Speech to Parliament, is in the government’s Energy Security Bill. It aims to provide the legal framework needed to achieve ambitious net-zero emissions goals while keeping energy ...

  Bloomberg Electricite de France (EDF) SA warned that unusually warm river temperatures are likely to force it to reduce nuclear output at time when about half the country’s reactors are already offline. With air temperatures in Paris forecast to climb above 25 degrees celsius (77 Fahrenheit) this weekend, some of the rivers used to cool EDF’s nuclear power plants ...

  Bloomberg Ferdinand Marcos Jr won a landslide victory in the Philippines presidential election, according to unofficial results, bringing his family back to power in Manila 36 years after his dictator father fled the country. With 96.7% of the election returns counted, the former senator won 30.7 million votes, or 58.8% of the total votes cast for president. His closest ...

Bloomberg President Joe Biden said he’s worried that Russian President Vladimir Putin “doesn’t have a way out right now” of his war in Ukraine, as the US leader signed into law a measure making it easier for Washington to send weapons and supplies to the government in Kyiv. Congressional Democrats have drafted a Ukraine aid package worth almost $40 billion, ...

  Bloomberg Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron agreed in a phone call on the urgent need for a ceasefire in Ukraine, according to a statement from the Elysee palace in Paris. The two leaders underlined their attachment to respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. They also discussed the risk of an ensuing food ...

  Bloomberg Violence erupted in Sri Lanka after the brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned as prime minister, with local reports saying protesters targeted the homes and properties of ruling-party lawmakers after pro-government groups attacked the demonstrators. The ancestral home of the Rajapaksa family in the southern district of Hambantota was set on fire, and police were forced to use ...

Bloomberg The UK’s desire to rewrite the Northern Ireland protocol was absent in detail from the Queen’s Speech, amid reports that domestic legislation is being prepared to override large chunks of the Brexit deal. While the UK repeated its warning that it will take necessary steps to address problems caused by the protocol, no named bill or signal of future ...

Bloomberg China’s central bank repeated a pledge to proactively address mounting economic pressure and also highlighted a drop in deposit rates, a decline that could spur banks to lower the cost of borrowing for the first time in months. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) reaffirmed it will focus on supporting small businesses, sectors and groups hit by Covid-19 outbreaks, ...