Bloomberg The US and the Taliban have reached agreement on a seven-day reduction in violence in Afghanistan that’s intended to lead to a broader accord to end America’s longest war. A senior US official said that the two sides have a deal on the reduction of violence that, if achieved, would be followed by a peace plan allowing the US ...

Bloomberg The US will evacuate its citizens from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship that’s been quarantined in Japan, according to a statement on the American embassy in Japan’s website. The Department of State will provide chartered aircraft to bring American passengers and crew back to the US. The ship is the largest infection cluster outside China. An additional 67 ...

Bloomberg Attorney General William Barr has ordered a review of the prosecution against Donald Trump’s former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, adding to a series of interventions this week in politically sensitive cases tied to the president. Barr has appointed US Attorney Jeffrey Jensen to examine the case against Flynn and potentially other matters, according to a person familiar with ...

Bloomberg President Donald Trump’s longtime associate Roger Stone filed a sealed request for a new trial less than a week before he’s due to be sentenced for lying to Congress, witness tampering and other crimes. The Republican operative filed the request in Washington federal court. US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered prosecutors to file a sealed response by February ...

Bloomberg Following an unexpected election triumph, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald wasted little time in calling for a united Ireland, demanding a referendum on reunification within five years. Meanwhile, one of her successful candidates regaled his celebrating supporters with the iconic “Up the RA” slogan, referring to the Irish Republican Army, the terror group which fought in the name ...

Bloomberg Weather, terrain and human factors were behind the crash of a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter in January that killed eight defense ministry officers including Taiwan’s top uniformed military officer. An initial investigation report showed that cloud and mist were thick due to sudden changes in the weather in the mountainous area, the Ministry of National Defense’s Air Force Command ...

If the past is any guide — and it certainly will be — President Trump’s ambitious attempts to cut federal spending will almost certainly come to naught. The historical record is clear. As a practical matter, once government programs are created, they’re virtually impossible to kill, even if they’ve outlived their usefulness. Veterans of past budget wars (including me) going ...

Within a few months of joining UBS Group AG in 2011, Sergio Ermotti found himself in just the right place. Switzerland’s biggest bank needed to restore stability after a spate of trading losses, and the newcomer was quickly elevated to the chief executive role. His exit isn’t going so smoothly. Ermotti, 59, has signalled that he plans to step down ...

Any new chief executive likes to make their own mark. For Patrik Frisk, who took the helm of Under Armour Inc. last month, there’s even more reason than most. While founder Kevin Plank has ceded the role of CEO, he’s staying around as chairman and brand chief at the maker of athletic apparel. At first glance, the surprise sales and ...

The European Union’s (EU) aspiration to be a pacesetter in the global fight against the climate crisis is laudable. Even better, the bloc’s leaders want to bake financial innovation into their plans, giving their member countries (and companies and the region’s financial industry) a leg up in the rush to fund infrastructure projects that may literally save the planet. But ...