February, 2021

• 13 February

  Macquarie raises $1.94 billion for renewable energy fund

  

  Bloomberg Macquarie Group Ltd’s green investment arm raised 1.6 billion euros ($1.94 billion) for a renewable energy fund. The company’s Green Investment Group Renewable Energy Fund 2 closed after exceeding its target of 1 billion euros and received commitments from 32 pension funds and insurers from largely the UK and Germany, as well as from some sovereign wealth funds, according ...

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• 13 February

  Former ECB chief Draghi sworn in as Italian PM, ending political gridlock

  

  Bloomberg Former European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi was 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 only a few ministers in attendance because of social distancing rules. He unveiled his long-awaited government line-up, nominating the ...

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• 13 February

  Car bomb kills at least 7 near presidential palace in Somalia

  

  Bloomberg A suicide car bomb exploded near the presidential palace in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, killing at least seven and injuring 10, according to a police official. The car’s driver detonated the device while being chased by security forces, Mohamed Abdishakur, a Somali police official said. Most of the dead were passersby who were walking along the road when ...

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• 13 February

  Biden plans to close Guantanamo prison

  

  Bloomberg The Biden administration plans to close the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay by the end of the president’s time in office, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. “That certainly is our goal and our intention,” Psaki told reporters. The facility in Cuba, used to house terror suspects after the September 11 2001, attacks became a flashpoint in ...

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• 13 February

  Modi’s fight with farmers a pivotal moment in India’s growth

  

  Bloomberg Hundreds of thousands of farmers are swelling protests along arterial roads into the capital and other cities across India. The police and paramilitary forces have deployed up to 50,000 personnel, as well as barricades, barbed wire and riot-control vehicles. The United Nations is urging restraint. And each day, more farmers and tractors arrive to join the disgruntled ranks. Prime ...

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• 13 February

  US will have to pay to keep troop deal: Duterte

  

  Bloomberg Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he wants the US to pay to keep a two-decade-old pact that facilitates joint military exercises, an agreement which he sought to scrap last year. “Well, they have to pay. It’s a shared responsibility, but your share of responsibility does not come free,” Duterte said about the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the US. “Because ...

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• 13 February

  Goldman says ESG finance to become ‘core part’ of strategy

  

  Bloomberg Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is just getting started in the fast-expanding world of sustainable finance. The New York-based lender plans to issue more environmental, social, and governance (ESG) bonds on a regular basis as part of its plans to deploy $750 billion in sustainable financing, investing and advisory activity by 2030, according to Carey Halio, chief executive officer of ...

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• 13 February

  Credit Suisse pays $600mn to settle US mortgage case

  

  Bloomberg Credit Suisse group agreed to pay $600 million to settle a lawsuit over mortgage securities that collapsed in 2008 financial crisis, an accord that locks in an expected hit to its profit. The plaintiff, MBIA Insurance Corp., said late that it had reached an agreement, after a post-trial court decision that ordered the Swiss bank to pay about $604 ...

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• 13 February

  Mexico may cut rates at least twice in 2021

  

  Bloomberg Mexico could have space for at least two more interest rate cuts in 2021 if inflation stays in line with expectations, central bank Deputy Governor Gerardo Esquivel told Bloomberg News. The bank, known as Banxico, cut for the 12th time since August 2019 this week, bringing the benchmark rate to 4%. The unanimous decision led economists to expect more ...

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• 13 February

  ING signals share buybacks

  

  Bloomberg ING Groep NV posted fourth-quarter profit that topped analysts’ estimates and joined peers across Europe in signaling more payouts to shareholders once the European Central Bank removes restrictions. The Dutch lender reported net income for the final three months of last year of 727 million euros ($881 million), compared with estimates of 499 million euros. The bank set aside ...

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