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Germany's coalition government, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has rejected calls to revise the compromise agreement on the country's 2024 budget in response to protests from angry farmers. The government spokesperson stated that there is a political agreement in place and the ministries are currently working on the draft laws. The budget includes €17 billion in spending cuts, including the removal of tax breaks for diesel used by farmers and vehicles in the agricultural industry. Farmers, supported by Agriculture Minister Cem Oezdemir and lobby groups, have been protesting the cuts and have threatened to continue doing so in January if they are not reversed. Finance Minister Christian Lindner has suggested that the tax breaks could be reinstated if alternative funding can be found, leading to criticism from the Social Democrats. The adjustments to the budget became necessary after Germany's top court ruled that shifting debt-financed funds outside the budget was unconstitutional. The budget is expected to be passed by lawmakers next month. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Singapore's Law Minister said "cancel culture" rules may be included in legislation in the near future as the government looks to protect residents against online pressure over expressing views on topics including an ongoing debate on LGBTQ rights. "More Challenging" Shanmugam, who is also the home affairs minister, defended Singapore's use of the death penalty for serious crimes, including drug trafficking. [Extracted from the article]

"More Challenging" Shanmugam, who is also the home affairs minister, defended Singapore's use of the death penalty for serious crimes, including drug trafficking. (Bloomberg) -- Singapore's Law Minister said "cancel culture" rules may be included in legislation in the near future as the government looks to protect residents against online pressure over expressing views on topics including an ongoing debate on LGBTQ rights. [Extracted from the article]

"Regular voters don't know that this particular religious group provides support, and that's a problem", Shigeharu Aoyama, an upper house LDP lawmaker, said of the Unification Church last week in his blog. Keywords: 1319293DJP; ASIA; BON; BUSINESS; COS; ELECT; GEN; GLOBALMACR; GOV; INDUSTRIES; JAPAN; MARKETS; MED; POL; SKOREA; TMT; WORLD EN 1319293DJP ASIA BON BUSINESS COS ELECT GEN GLOBALMACR GOV INDUSTRIES JAPAN MARKETS MED POL SKOREA TMT WORLD (Bloomberg) The assassination of Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has thrown a spotlight on the little-known relationship between the country's ruling party and the Unification Church. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- New Covid-19 cases in China jumped to almost 1,000, with more infectious strains continuing to pressure the country's goal of eliminating the virus as outbreaks spread beyond major cities. In a speech late Tuesday to global business leaders hosted by the World Economic Forum, Premier Li Keqiang said China will make Covid control measures more targeted and also increase international passenger flights. [Extracted from the article]

In a speech late Tuesday to global business leaders hosted by the World Economic Forum, Premier Li Keqiang said China will make Covid control measures more targeted and also increase international passenger flights. (Bloomberg) -- New Covid-19 cases in China jumped to almost 1,000, with more infectious strains continuing to pressure the country's goal of eliminating the virus as outbreaks spread beyond major cities. [Extracted from the article]

"I didn't necessarily say it in an appropriate way", Kuroda said in a parliamentary hearing Tuesday, referring to his remarks the previous day that Japanese households' tolerance for price rises has been increasing. (Bloomberg) -- Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda walked back some of his comments that consumers are now more willing to accept higher prices after criticism on social media and a grilling in parliament. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in India under the shadow of "partygate" and quickly found himself in the middle of another controversy when he jumped atop an excavator at a factory of the British construction giant JCB. The prime minister gave an election campaign speech at its headquarters in 2019, and JCB and its billionaire chairman Anthony Bamford have both been donors to Johnson. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in India under the shadow of "partygate" and quickly found himself in the middle of another controversy when he jumped atop an excavator at a factory of the British construction giant JCB. The Indian Express newspaper captioned its front page photograph: "Boris & Bulldozer.". [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Potential buyers for Chelsea Football Club remain in limbo days after making their bids, as the New York-based bank handling the sale sifts through multiple offers for one of the biggest names in sports. He put the club up for sale after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which prompted the U.K. government to place him under far-reaching sanctions for his ties to President Vladimir Putin's regime. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- McDonald's Corp., Coca-Cola Co. and Starbucks Corp. are temporarily halting business operations in Russia amid intensifying backlash since the invasion of Ukraine started nearly two weeks ago. Coca-Cola, for example, is a supplier for McDonald's, so McDonald's action deprives it of a major client in the country. [Extracted from the article]

Malaysia has completed the tower spire of the Merdeka 118 building, which is set to become the world's second-tallest skyscraper. The tower will reach a height of 678.9 meters when completed in 2022, making it the tallest structure after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The project is seen as an economic catalyst for Kuala Lumpur, although it has faced criticism on social media for being unnecessary during a time of economic recovery. The Merdeka 118 project, valued at $1.2 billion, will open to the public in the final quarter of 2022 and will feature a hotel, observation deck, mall, museum, and mosque. [Extracted from the article]

Malaysia has completed the tower spire of the Merdeka 118 building, which is set to become the world's second-tallest skyscraper. The tower will reach a height of 678.9 meters when completed in 2022, making it the tallest structure after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The project is seen as an economic catalyst for Kuala Lumpur, although it has faced criticism on social media for being unnecessary during a time of economic recovery. The Merdeka 118 project, valued at $1.2 billion, will feature a hotel, observation deck, mall, museum, and mosque. [Extracted from the article]

Malaysia has completed the tower spire of the Merdeka 118 building, which is set to become the world's second-tallest skyscraper. The tower will reach a height of 678.9 meters when completed in 2022, making it the tallest structure after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The project is seen as an economic catalyst for Kuala Lumpur, although it has faced criticism on social media for being unnecessary during a time of economic recovery. The Merdeka 118 project, valued at $1.2 billion, will open to the public in the final quarter of 2022 and will feature a hotel, observation deck, mall, museum, and mosque. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- A group of state attorneys general are investigating Meta Platform Inc.'s efforts to engage children and young adults with Instagram, and the harms that result from that. "Our coalition will not hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to protect children and young adults from the harms Instagram and other social media platforms risk to so many.". [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- The Bank of England's new chief economist ran into criticism on social media for suggesting he brings diversity to policy making from having once worked with Otmar Issing, the famously hawkish German central banker. Pill, a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, is a former European Central Bank official who worked there when the former Bundesbanker was its chief economist. [Extracted from the article]

Still, anti-vaccine activists took to social media platforms at the beginning of the pandemic, where they dripped anti-science skepticism into Facebook groups and Instagram stories and posts. (Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc. expanded on its pushback to President Joe Biden's comment that social media networks enabled the spread of misinformation about vaccines, saying that it won't take the blame for the administration missing its target to get 70% of Americans inoculated by July 4. [Extracted from the article]

"At a time when Covid-19 cases are rising in America, the Biden administration has chosen to blame a handful of American social media companies", Rosen said. (Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc. expanded on its pushback to President Joe Biden's comment that social media networks enabled the spread of misinformation about vaccines, saying that it won't take the blame for the administration missing its target to get 70% of Americans inoculated by July 4. [Extracted from the article]

"The three-child policy will certainly be a huge blow to working women", says Liu Minghui, a law professor at China Women's University and a public-interest lawyer who's representing Liu Tao (the women are not related). Keywords: 8176888Z; 9992@HK; ALLTOP; ASIA; ASIATOP; BIZWEEK; BUSINESS; CHINA; COS; ECOTOP; GEN; GENDER; GENTOP; GLOBALMACR; GOV; GOVTOP; INDUSTRIES; INTERNET; LAW; POL; TEC; TMT; TOP; WORLD; WWTOP; WWTOPAM; WWTOPAS; WWTOPEU EN 8176888Z 9992@HK ALLTOP ASIA ASIATOP BIZWEEK BUSINESS CHINA COS ECOTOP GEN GENDER GENTOP GLOBALMACR GOV GOVTOP INDUSTRIES INTERNET LAW POL TEC TMT TOP WORLD WWTOP WWTOPAM WWTOPAS WWTOPEU Gender discrimination is on the rise since the government began dismantling the one-child policy. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- A controversial lawmaker from Georgia said she has the support of Donald Trump as she faces criticism for past social media posts advocating violence against Democrats and suggesting mass school shootings were staged. Democrats, including Pelosi, have called on House Republicans to remove Greene from the Education and Labor Committee, citing her past comments about school shootings. [Extracted from the article]

Facebook's Sales Jump; Shares Drop on 2021 "Uncertainty" (Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc.'s fourth-quarter sales jumped 33%, with online shopping during the pandemic fueling demand for digital ads on its social networks. Facebook posted fourth-quarter net income of $11.2 billion, or $3.88 a share, compared with the $3.22-per-share analyst estimate. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro berated social isolation measures designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, saying they are destroying jobs and compounding pain for Latin America's largest economy. In his Saturday comments, Bolsonaro downplayed the pandemic, saying that other ills such as hunger, misery and depression kill more than the virus. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro berated social isolation measures designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, saying they are destroying jobs and compounding pain for Latin America's largest economy. In his Saturday comments, Bolsonaro downplayed the pandemic, saying that other ills such as hunger, misery and depression kill more than the virus. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Taco Bell faces mounting criticism on social media after an employee in Ohio said he was fired for wearing a Black Lives Matter mask at work. Global protests sparked by the death of George Floyd are pushing the U.K. to acknowledge past links to slavery and racism. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Taco Bell is facing mounting criticism on social media after an employee in Ohio said he was fired for wearing a Black Lives Matter mask at work. Skinner said employees are required to wear masks, and can use their own, but there weren't guidelines about messages on face coverings, according to reports by local television stations WKBN and WFMJ. "While our policies at restaurants do not prohibit team members from wearing Black Lives Matter masks, we are working to clarify our mask policy so this doesn't happen again.". [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Taco Bell is facing mounting criticism on social media after an employee in Ohio said he was fired for wearing a Black Lives Matter mask at work. Skinner said employees are required to wear masks, and can use their own, but there weren't guidelines about messages on face coverings, according to reports by local television stations WKBN and WFMJ. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- A spate of killings of women in South Africa has stoked a renewed public outcry about an issue that had been relegated by the coronavirus pandemic. More than 52,000 sexual offenses were reported to the police in South Africa last year, as well as almost 42,000 rapes, according to the national plan to combat gender-based violence published earlier this year. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Senior Facebook Inc. employees used Twitter over the weekend to express their dismay at Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg's decision not to take action on incendiary comments posted to the social network by U.S. President Donald Trump. Read more: Facebook Appeases Trump as Twitter Spars With Him Over Posts In a post late Sunday, Zuckerberg said Facebook is committing "an additional $10 million to groups working on racial justice.". [Extracted from the article]

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flew from the capital Manila, which remains on lockdown, to his hometown in Davao City on Saturday in a trip his spokesman said was partly for official reasons. Before Duterte flew out of Manila, the police leadership was seeking his clearance to file a criminal case against the capital's top cop Debold Sinas, Roque said on Friday. [Extracted from the article]

The National Health Service, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and the police urged residents of the U.K. capital to stay at home over the holiday weekend to help stop the spread of the pandemic. People in the U.K. visited parks at a far lower rate than in London last weekend, according to the Google report. The U.K. reported 881 more deaths from coronavirus on Thursday, taking the overall total to 7,978, as the country struggles to fight the disease. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- On March 30, the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards entirely abandoned its plans for rankings for 2020, and pledged instead to focus on efforts to help the hospitality industry to face the challenge of coronavirus. The World's 50 Best Restaurants list is organized and compiled by William Reed Business Media. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Iranians protested in several cities after the government unexpectedly raised gasoline prices, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported. A special economic commission decided late Thursday to boost gasoline prices by as much as three times and also to ration the motor fuel, IRNA reported. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- At least one person was killed as protests erupted in Iran after the government unexpectedly raised gasoline prices, the semi-official Iranian Student's News Agency reported. A special economic commission decided late Thursday to boost gasoline prices by as much as three times and also to ration the motor fuel, IRNA reported. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's $60 billion climate package is likely to be upgraded by parliament amid growing criticism that it's too timid, according to people with direct knowledge of the government's legislative strategy. While Merkel's coalition of her Christian Democrat-led bloc and the Social Democrats has a majority in the Bundestag, it lacks one in the Bundesrat, made up of representatives of the country's 16 states. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's $60 billion climate package is likely to be upgraded by parliament amid growing criticism that it's too timid, according to people with direct knowledge of the government's legislative strategy. While Merkel's coalition of her Christian Democrat-led bloc and the Social Democrats has a majority in the Bundestag, it lacks one in the Bundesrat, made up of representatives of the country's 16 states. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's $60 billion climate package is likely to be upgraded by parliament amid growing criticism that it's too timid, according to people with direct knowledge of the government's legislative strategy. While Merkel's coalition of her Christian Democrat-led bloc and the Social Democrats has a majority in the Bundestag, it lacks one in the Bundesrat, made up of representatives of the country's 16 states. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's $60 billion climate package is likely to be upgraded by parliament amid growing criticism that it's too timid, according to people with direct knowledge of the government's legislative strategy. While Merkel's coalition of her Christian Democrat-led bloc and the Social Democrats has a majority in the Bundestag, it lacks one in the Bundesrat, made up of representatives of the country's 16 states. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's $60 billion climate package is likely to be upgraded by parliament amid growing criticism that it's too timid, according to people with direct knowledge of the government's legislative strategy. While Merkel's coalition of her Christian Democrat-led bloc and the Social Democrats has a majority in the Bundestag, it lacks one in the Bundesrat, made up of representatives of the country's 16 states. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- The World Economic Forum on Africa was supposed to be President Cyril Ramaphosa's chance to prove South Africa's claim to being the continent's top investment destination. When a demonstration was held outside the WEF meeting on Wednesday, police fired stun grenades and water cannons to disperse the crowd. [Extracted from the article]

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has stepped up her criticism of social media platforms in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attacks, which saw the gunman live-stream the mosque shootings on the Internet. The government will look at the role social media played and what steps it can take, including on the international stage, Ardern said in a speech in parliament Tuesday as part of a tribute to the victims. [Extracted from the article]

Airline reports incident on flight from Barcelona to police "We would encourage Ryanair to look at their policies and ensure that staff know what to do, should an incident of this nature occur in the future", Show Racism the Red Card, a leading UK anti-racism charity, said in an emailed statement. [Extracted from the article]

United Continental Holdings Inc. is turning to President Barack Obama's former White House spokesman as its new chief communications officer, tasked with helping the airline work through the fallout from a series of public relations blunders. At United, Earnest will be reunited with Frank Benenati, a spokesman who also worked for Earnest at the White House. [Extracted from the article]

Government reverses coal ban after failure to install gas heat Across the country, officials obediently banned coal -- causing natural gas sales to surge 19 percent this year through October -- before backtracking as they struggled to find supplies and connect villages to a centralized gas pipeline network. Faxes requesting comment from the Hebei provincial government and the local Langfang city government, which has jurisdiction over villages in the area, went unanswered Tuesday. [Extracted from the article]

SPD's Schulz begins tour to close gap in German election polls Schulz, Merkel's main challenger in the election on Sept. 24, is starting his 40-stop campaign tour on Monday in Bremen, an SPD-ruled city since the end of World War II. [Extracted from the article]

In Singapore, where car ownership is discouraged with taxes that push the cost of a Ford Focus over S$100,000 ($73,300), commuters are in the front line of the change to driverless rail networks. On SMRT's North-South line, the second mass transit rail to open in Southeast Asia, trains had to run at reduced speeds for safety reasons due to signaling faults. [Extracted from the article]

Cai Qi, the Communist Party chief in the capital, told a gathering of local delegates Monday that the metropolis of 22 million must slash pollution levels to "win the battle against pollution." Cai was named acting Beijing mayor last year after serving on Xi's National Security Commission. [Extracted from the article]

Aso touts Japan's work ethic, innovation at speech in NYC Aso used the wide-ranging speech to extol the leadership of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as well as advocate the progress Japan has made in the labor participation rate for women and corporate governance. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg View) -- Show John Lewis Some Respect, Mr. Trump: Timothy L. O'Brien It's MLK Day, Mr. Trump, So Show John Lewis Some Respect However ill-considered Trump felt Lewis's comments to be, the president-elect might have done well to avoid hitting back on this particular weekend. [Extracted from the article]