February, 2020

• 19 February

  Iran must be held accountable for Baghdad attacks: Pompeo

  

  Bloomberg US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said Iran must be held accountable for its proxies’ attacks on American forces in Baghdad, warning that such violence can’t become routine. “It cannot become ordinary course that the Iranians, through their proxy forces in Iraq, are putting the lives of Americans at risk,” Pompeo told reporters on his plane as he prepared ...

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• 19 February

  Sanders jumps to 32% lead in California poll

  

  Bloomberg Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has moved out to a commanding lead in California with 32% support among likely Democratic voters in the critical Super Tuesday state, according to a poll released by the Public Policy Institute of California. Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Michael Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg were all bunched within the poll’s margin of error for the next ...

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• 19 February

  Pentagon official in Ukraine-aid case quits

  

  Bloomberg John Rood has stepped down as the top policy official at the Defense Department, according to two people familiar with the matter. The senior Pentagon official had faced pressure to resign from key figures who lost confidence in his ability to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda, according to multiple administration officials who requested anonymity to speak about Rood’s ...

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• 19 February

  Britain plans to slash unskilled immigration

  

  Bloomberg Boris Johnson’s government unveiled plans to end what it called the UK’s dependence on “cheap low-skilled labour” and deliver on its pledge to halt freedom of movement from the European Union after Brexit. Under a points-based immigration system to come into effect on January 1, 2021, workers must prove they can speak English, have a verified job offer and ...

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• 19 February

  Expat families flee Hong Kong after virus, protests

  

  Bloomberg After a decade and a half in Hong Kong, New Zealand native Ian Jacob is calling it quits. The owner of a construction-materials company, Jacob and his wife were worried last year about the political unrest, especially after the temporary suspension of schools. “We watched as the situation got worse and worse,” he said. With classes suspended again amid ...

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• 19 February

  Zarif: Iran presence must for decoding black boxes

  Bloomberg Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said his country won’t let the flight recorders of the Ukrainian jet that was shot down in January leave Iran and be decoded without the presence of Islamic Republic envoys. “We have a right to keep the black boxes ourselves. We have a right to be present during any assessment of the black ...

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• 19 February

  US futures advance with Europe stocks; oil gains

  

  Bloomberg US equity futures advanced with European stocks on Wednesday after signs emerged that China may be planning further measures to support its economy reeling from a virus-induced slowdown. The yen weakened. Contracts on the three main US stock gauges pointed to a positive start on Wall Street after Bloomberg reported that China’s latest moves to aid growth include possible ...

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• 19 February

  India’s Sensex rises as investors assess economic outlook

  

  Bloomberg India’s stock benchmark rose, rebounding from its lowest close in more than two weeks, as investors assessed the extent that the coronavirus outbreak may affect the economic outlook. The S&P BSE Sensex Index climbed for the first day in five, adding 1.1% to close at 41,323 in Mumbai. The NSE Nifty 50 Index posted the same gain. India’s government ...

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• 19 February

  Pound climbs after inflation tempers risk of BOE rate cut

  Bloomberg The pound rose after inflation accelerated, fuelling expectation that the Bank of England (BOE) will hold off lowering interest rates for the foreseeable future. Sterling cemented its position above $1.30, snapping two days of declines versus the dollar after annual inflation picked up for the first time in six months. The currency has also been given a boost by ...

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• 19 February

  IMF sees global growth rebound despite threat from coronavirus

  

  Bloomberg The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reiterated that global economic growth appears to be bottoming out, though also cautioned that risks including the coronavirus dominate the outlook. “After a marked slowdown last year, global economic activity is expected to moderately strengthen in 2020,” the IMF said in a surveillance note released on Wednesday. “Monetary and fiscal policy actions were instrumental ...

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