February, 2021

• 14 February

  Trump acquitted by senate in second impeachment trial

  

  Bloomberg Former President Donald Trump was acquitted by the Senate on the charge of inciting the January 6 riot at the Capitol after an unprecedented second impeachment trial that exposed a Republican Party deeply divided over Trump’s conduct and uneasy with his continued role in public life. The vote was 57-43, falling short of the two-thirds majority required for a ...

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• 14 February

  Biden aide feels heat from all sides on White House equality vow

  

  Bloomberg As President Joe Biden seeks to address racial inequities across the US, he’s turned to former congressman Cedric Richmond to help keep a promise to end discriminatory practices ranging from housing to voting rights — a task complicated by the risk of alienating Republicans whose support is needed on key legislative priorities. Richmond, a Louisiana lawmaker who led the ...

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• 14 February

  Myanmar junta amends law for more power on detentions, spying

  

  Bloomberg Myanmar’s military amended an existing law on privacy and security rights, giving it more power to detain people for longer and tap on their communications. The junta, led by Min Aung Hlaing, signed a law that would allow it to make arrests or search private premises without warrants, according to the office of the commander-in-chief of defense services. It ...

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• 14 February

  Draghi seeks unity as Italy’s new leader

  

  Bloomberg Former European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi stressed the need for unity after being sworn in as Italy’s prime minister, ending weeks of political gridlock and avoiding an election during the pandemic. Draghi was sworn in by President Sergio Mattarella at Rome’s Quirinale palace, with limited attendance because of social distancing rules. After the ceremony Draghi held his ...

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• 14 February

  HK planning money flow scrutiny of Chinese officials

  

  Bloomberg Hong Kong plans to expand scrutiny on capital flows and transactions by Chinese officials, according to a recent consultation paper on anti-money laundering. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau is proposing to implement enhanced due diligence on “politically exposed persons” from anywhere outside Hong Kong instead of outside the People’s Republic of China, according to the paper. The ...

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• 14 February

  US home builders urge Biden to help slow housing inflation

  

  Bloomberg The biggest US homebuilders group urged the Biden administration to help increase lumber supply, saying record-high costs threaten to price potential home buyers out of the market and curb construction. The administration needs to remove import tariffs on Canadian lumber and urge producers to boost output, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) said on its website. In November, the ...

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• 14 February

  Canada’s economy seen lagging US for fourth straight year

  

  Bloomberg Economists revised their growth estimates for Canada higher this year, though the recovery is expected to lag the US. Canada’s economy is expected to expand 4.7% in 2021, according to Bloomberg’s latest monthly survey of analysts. That’s up from a previous yearly estimate of 4.4%. Growth in 2022 is seen at 4.1%, little changed from the January survey. The ...

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• 14 February

  Switzerland tipping into recession on virus curbs

  Bloomberg Switzerland is sinking into recession because of business closures to combat the pandemic, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg. While the nation has less-stringent rules on social distancing than neighbouring countries, shops, restaurants and leisure facilities are still closed at least until the end of February. The median forecast was for a 0.7% drop in GDP in final quarter ...

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• 14 February

  UK economy shows surge after clocking worst year since 1709

  

  Bloomberg The UK economy grew at double the pace expected in the fourth quarter, showing signs of resilience to coronavirus restrictions at the end of a year that delivered the worst recession since 1709. Figures add some weight to the Bank of England’s view that while the economy will likely shrink in the first three months of the year, a ...

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• 14 February

  German firms to face fines if suppliers abuse human rights

  

  Bloomberg German companies from BASF SE to Volkswagen AG risk fines if their suppliers around the world breach human rights. Under new legislation agreed to by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government, companies will have to ensure their partners don’t engage in harmful practices and exploitation. In addition to penalties, German firms can also be excluded from public contracts. The so-called Supply-Chain ...

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