February, 2020

• 15 February

  Flynn saga adds to ‘political cases’ uproar

  

  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 ...

  Read More »
• 15 February

  Roger Stone seeks new trial before sentencing

  

  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 ...

  Read More »
• 15 February

  Sinn Fein’s win brings idea of ‘united Ireland’ one step closer

  

  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 ...

  Read More »
• 15 February

  Taiwan attributes coptor crash to ‘weather factors’

  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 ...

  Read More »
• 15 February

  Why the US government can’t cut the spending

  

  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 ...

  Read More »
• 15 February

  UBS is in need of a radical new boss

  

  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 ...

  Read More »
• 15 February

  Under Armour’s new CEO is making an ugly start

  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 ...

  Read More »
• 15 February

  Don’t cut corners on EU climate-crisis bonds

  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 ...

  Read More »
• 15 February

  Singapore’s virus budget will challenge Hong Kong

  

  With more than two-score coronavirus infections and the threat raised to the second-highest level of severity, Singapore may not want to leave anything to chance when the budget is unveiled next week. The city-state is building an early reputation for handling the crisis professionally. Hong Kong, which is getting brickbats for ineptitude, will take note of its arch-rival’s fiscal defense. ...

  Read More »
• 15 February

  Deutsche Bank is allowed back into the high-risk club

  

  Deutsche Bank AG is back — at least if its ability to sell the riskiest type of debt is a yardstick. After a six-year hiatus marked by a flirtation with collapse, billions of euros of losses, multiple management changes and its biggest restructuring in decades, Deutsche is going into the deep end of fixed-income risk: a benchmark perpetual bond (known ...

  Read More »