Monday Briefing: China raises its child limit

Monday, May 31, 2021

by Robert MacMillan

Hello

Here's what you need to know.

China raises its child limit, Netanyahu’s rivals work on unseating him, and the last survivors of the Tulsa race massacre commemorate its 100th anniversary

Today's biggest stories

A mob of supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump fight with members of law enforcement at a door they broke open as they storm the Capitol, January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Leah Millis

U.S.

A newly unsealed indictment named additional members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group that participated in the January 6th storming of the Capitol, as defendants for their role in the incident.

Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives boycotted a legislative session late Sunday, blocking a vote on an election-reform bill that critics say would make it harder for Blacks and Hispanics to vote.

The debate over the future of policing is taking place daily in New York as Democrats jockey for the party’s nomination for mayoral candidate. Those who embrace a pro-law enforcement message seem to have the upper hand, and the election's outcome may provide a window into how voters prioritize issues in a post-pandemic society.

Companies can mandate that employees in a workplace must be vaccinated against COVID-19, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said.

Children play with models of rockets at the reception desk of a hotel in Longlou town, Wenchang, Hainan province, November 22, 2020. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

WORLD

China said married couples may have up to three children, a major policy shift from the existing limit of two. China’s recent once-in-a-decade census showed that the population grew at its slowest rate during the last decade since the 1950s. Data also showed a fertility rate of just 1.3 children per woman for 2020, on par with aging societies like Japan and Italy.

Far-right party leader Naftali Bennett threw his support behind a "unity government" in Israel to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in what would be the end of a political era. Read more about Bennett, about what just happened and what happens next.

A sharp rise in COVID-19 cases from new variants in parts of Southeast Asia that had been less affected by the pandemic has prompted new restrictions, factory closures and attempts to rapidly scale up vaccination programs across the region.

The remains of 215 children, some as young as 3 years old, were found at the site of a former residential school for indigenous children, a discovery Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described as heartbreaking.

A general view of the Goodyear factory in Shah Alam, Malaysia May 6, 2021. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng

BUSINESS

Tire-maker Goodyear is facing accusations of unpaid wages, unlawful overtime and threats to foreign workers at its Malaysian factory.

Intel’s CEO said it could take several years for a global shortage of semiconductors to be resolved, a problem that has shuttered some auto production lines and is also being felt in other areas, including consumer electronics.

3M won a court case in which it was accused of covering up design defects in earplugs used by the military. The Florida trial is the second to address allegations 3M hid design flaws, fudged test results and failed to instruct the military in proper use of the earplugs.

Carmakers in the Indian automobile hub of Chennai will be allowed to keep operating, amid protests by workers who fear catching COVID-19. Tamil Nadu's government has extended a near-total lockdown, but said some industries could stay open. Hundreds of workers in the Chennai area have fallen ill and dozens have died from the virus, labor unions say.

Quote of the day

“That's a black cat in the bag instead of reparations for a crime against humanity”

Vekuii Rukoro

Paramount Chief of the Herero people

Germany apologizes for colonial-era genocide in Namibia

Video of the day

Plague of mice ravages Australia

Norman Moeris is among thousands of farmers dealing with an infestation of mice that have ravaged crops, gnawed through farming equipment and household appliances, caused power blackouts and invaded supermarkets.

And finally…

Last survivors mark 1921 race massacre in Tulsa

An estimated 300 people were killed, thousands were left homeless and a community seen as a symbol of what Black Americans could achieve was devastated.

More from Reuters

COVID-19 Investigations Breakingviews Legal News

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Friday Briefing: Biden budget to put price tag on policy priorities

Friday, May 28, 2021

by Linda Noakes

Hello

Here's what you need to know.

A grim milestone in South Asia, Britain's battleship diplomacy, and Switzerland thinks the unthinkable

Today's biggest stories

U.S. President Joe Biden eats an ice-cream during a visit to Cleveland, Ohio, May 27, 2021. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

U.S.

The White House will today lay out President Joe Biden's budget for trillions of dollars in spending on infrastructure, education and other initiatives, but the plan is unlikely to sway Republicans who want to tamp down U.S. government spending.

With coronavirus cases plummeting and 1.8 million U.S. residents getting vaccinated each day, more Americans plan this upcoming Memorial Day weekend to get back to old pleasures. They will also encounter something new and less pleasant: rising prices.

California will offer $116.5 million in cash and gift cards to residents who get COVID-19 vaccinations before June 15, the latest - and most lucrative - incentive by U.S. states desperate to persuade laggards and vaccine-skeptics to get the injection.

The Pennsylvania Parole Board has turned down comedian Bill Cosby's petition to be released from a 10-year prison sentence for aggravated indecent assault, citing his refusal to participate in a therapy program for sexually violent predators.

Supporters of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad celebrate before the results of the presidential election in Damascus, May 27, 2021. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki

WORLD

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won a fourth term in office with 95.1% of the votes in an election that will extend his rule over a country ruined by war but which opponents and the West say was marked by fraud.

Coronavirus infections in the South Asia region have surpassed 30 million, according to a Reuters tally of official data, led by India which is struggling with a second COVID-19 wave and a vaccine shortage across the region. Meanwhile, Japan extended its state of emergency less than two months before the Olympics.

Germany apologized for its role in the slaughter of Herero and Nama tribespeople in Namibia more than a century ago and officially described the massacre as genocide for the first time, as it agreed to fund projects worth over a billion euros.

The maiden voyage of a new British aircraft carrier will seek to show allies that post-Brexit Britain is ready to defend Western interests and eager to see China respect international rules, the vessel's commander says.

BUSINESS

Bitcoin slumped to its lowest this week, taking losses sparked by a growing crackdown in China and environmental concerns to almost 40% so far this month.

The group behind the SolarWinds cyber attack identified late last year is now targeting government agencies, think tanks, consultants, and non-governmental organizations, Microsoft says.

Exxon Mobil's U.S. oil refineries pump out far more lung-damaging soot than similarly-sized facilities operated by rivals, according to regulatory documents and a Reuters analysis of pollution test results. Meanwhile, Big Oil may get more climate lawsuits after Shell ruling.

Exasperation with Credit Suisse following a string of scandals is prompting Switzerland to rethink a system in which top bankers have been largely untouchable. Heavy losses and the decimation of billions of client investments have triggered a rare discussion about fining bankers.

Quote of the day

"Let's get down to basics here. Many of the Republican members are afraid of the man who incited this"

Dick Durbin

The Senate's No. 2 Democrat

U.S. Senate argues over Capitol riot probe in marathon session

Video of the day

The most refined picnic ever?

Rolls-Royce has unveiled a convertible car with a back deck that opens up to reveal cocktail tables, fridges for champagne and a parasol.

And finally…

Cicadas make their Olympic debut in miniature art scenes

The appearance of the insects known as Brood X along the eastern United States after a 17-year hiatus has inspired Virginia professional portrait photographer Oxana Ware to create small-scale art installations.

More from Reuters

COVID-19 Investigations Breakingviews Legal News

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