January, 2020

• 7 January

  ADSW signals new decade of ambitious international work

  

  Abu Dhabi / WAM Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2020 will begin a new decade of ambitious global work to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), for 2030. With the start of a new decade, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week is a key event in the world of sustainability, as it gathers specialists and experts from around 175 countries and ...

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• 7 January

  UAE is Denmark’s only partner in Mideast for Carbon Diplomacy

  

  ABU DHABI / WAM Denmark has selected the United Arab Emirates as its only partner in the Middle East for its Carbon Diplomacy, a top Danish diplomat told the Emirates News Agency, WAM. “A significant aspect in bilateral relations is the importance Denmark attaches to the UAE with regard to cooperation in energy, environment and climate change,” Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, ...

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• 7 January

  Dozens killed in stampede at slain Iranian general’s funeral

  

  Bloomberg Three dozen mourners were crushed to death in a stampede at the funeral for a powerful Iranian general slain in a US drone strike. Qassem Soleimani’s exploits in conflicts from Syria to Yemen made him a national hero, and hundreds of thousands have turned out this week as his funeral procession stopped in various cities, first in Iraq, where ...

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• 7 January

  Germany withdraws some troops from Iraq

  

  Bloomberg Germany has temporarily moved some troops from Iraq due to safety concerns following the US killing of a top Iranian general. Of Germany’s 120 soldiers in Iraq as part of a training mission, 32 have transferred to Jordan and three to Kuwait, Defense Ministry Spokesman Joerg Schroeder said on Tuesday by phone. The troops could return anytime to continue ...

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• 7 January

  Pakistan approves bill to extend term of army chief

  Bloomberg Pakistan’s lawmakers approved a bill granting legal cover to a three-year extension in service to current army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, ending an apparent stand-off between the nation’s strong military and the judiciary. The move, endorsed by a majority vote in the National Assembly, came after Pakistan’s Supreme Court in November accepted Bajwa’s six-month extension in term on ...

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• 7 January

  Jakarta will not negotiate sovereignty in S China Sea: Jokowi

  

  Bloomberg Indonesia will not compromise on its sovereignty in the South China Sea amid the recent sighting of Chinese fishing vessels near the Natuna Islands, which lie between Malaysia and Borneo, President Joko Widodo said. Speaking at a plenary cabinet session in Jakarta, Jokowi, as Widodo is known, said the increased presence of Chinese ships in the disputed waters since ...

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• 7 January

  Trump wavers over impeachment trial

  

  Bloomberg President Donald Trump is wavering over how he wants his impeachment trial in the Senate to unfold, people familiar with his thinking said, but an offer by his former top national security aide to testify challenged Republican plans for a quick proceeding. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gave no indication that John Bolton’s willingness to testify was putting pressure ...

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• 7 January

  Sebastian Kurz sworn in as Austrian chancellor

  

  Bloomberg Sebastian Kurz was sworn in as Austria’s chancellor by President Alexander Van der Bellen, heading a new alliance of conservatives and environmentalists that now has to figure out how to fund its ambitious climate goals. Kurz, 33, is breaking new ground in Europe by forging a coalition between his People’s Party and the Greens. Their programme combines Kurz’s trademark ...

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• 7 January

  Fed signals high bar for rate move amid Iran tensions

  

  Bloomberg The risk of a US-Iran conflict is bringing fresh focus to the question of what Jerome Powell meant when he said it will take a “material” change in the outlook for the Federal Reserve to raise or lower interest rates. The answer so far — as investors wait to see how Tehran responds to the US killing of its ...

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• 7 January

  UBS to cut 500 jobs in wealth unit revamp

  

  Bloomberg UBS Group AG expects to cut as many as 500 private banking jobs as the lender moves forward with a wealth management overhaul aimed at strengthening regional units and speeding up decision making. As part of the revamp, UBS will split up the private banking business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, giving Caroline Kuhnert responsibility for central ...

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