January, 2020

• 15 January

  FBI can unlock ‘iPhones’ without Apple

  

  Bloomberg The FBI is pressing Apple Inc to help it break into a terrorist’s iPhones, but the government can hack into the devices without the technology giant, according to experts in cybersecurity and digital forensics. Investigators can exploit a range of security vulnerabilities — available directly or through providers such as Cellebrite and Grayshift — to break into the phones, ...

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• 15 January

  Twitter’s top lawyer is final word on blocking tweets

  

  Bloomberg A quick scan of Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey’s mentions show just how often he’s called upon to lay down the law for the service he helped create. But what users don’t know is that they’re imploring the wrong Twitter Inc executive. While Dorsey is the company’s public face, and the final word on all things product and strategy, ...

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• 15 January

  Europe turns up heat on Iran in bid to save nuclear accord

  

  Bloomberg European nations insist they still want to save the Iran nuclear deal, but to do that they now need to turn up the pressure on Tehran. Germany, France and the UK triggered an escalation in the standoff with Iran, starting formal action against the Islamic Republic for breaching restrictions on uranium enrichment set out in the 2015 accord. Violating ...

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• 15 January

  Spy agency mutiny quelled after intense gunfire, says Sudan

  

  Bloomberg Sudan’s government said it contained a violent mutiny over pay by members of the intelligence services, the latest challenge for the North African country trying to overcome decades of dictatorship. Gunfire rocked parts of the capital, Khartoum, that are home to buildings used by the powerful security apparatus. Soldiers and allied militiamen quickly deployed and closed off major streets, ...

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• 15 January

  Putin offers constitutional changes with term limit looming

  

  Bloomberg Vladimir Putin outlined a raft of proposed constitutional changes aimed at strengthening the powers of the parliament and other government bodies, fuelling speculation that he’s laying the groundwork for keeping power beyond the end of his current term in 2024. The plans, announced unexpectedly at the end of his annual state-of-the-nation speech on Wednesday, come as Putin is widely ...

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• 15 January

  Beijing-Prague ties nosedive over Taiwan

  

  Bloomberg China’s relationship with a country that was supposed to be a key proponent of its interests in Europe is growing increasingly caustic. The Czech Republic, an ex-communist member of the European Union, once hoped to become a gateway for investment to the continent. But spats over Chinese territorial claims, Huawei Technologies Co and espionage have strained ties to the ...

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• 15 January

  Risky cracks seen near Philippine volcano Taal

  

  Bloomberg A tangle of cracks has opened up around an erupting volcano in the Philippines that’s triggered hundreds of earthquakes and urgent pleas for residents to evacuate areas at risk of dangerous fissures and ashfall. Police locked down three towns near Taal Volcano, 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Manila, to prevent residents from returning home. More than 82,000 people ...

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• 15 January

  UK inflation slowdown ramps up view a rate cut is imminent

  

  Bloomberg The path to a Bank of England (BOE) interest-rate cut as soon as this month became clearer on Wednesday after inflation unexpectedly slowed to a three-year low. The pound fell and traders increased bets that policy makers would reduce rates on January 30, as the shock reading reinforced speculation fuelled by dovish comments from BOE Governor Mark Carney and ...

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• 15 January

  Fed announces plans for repo operations through to mid-Feb

  

  Bloomberg The Federal Reserve Bank of New York announced plans to conduct repurchase agreement operations through until at least February13, although the size of term operations will be trimmed to $30 billion from the start of next month. The central bank did not elaborate on plans beyond that. The move extends a programme that has been in place since it ...

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• 15 January

  China adds $58 billion into banking system

  

  Bloomberg China added liquidity to the financial system on Wednesday, helping to offset a cash squeeze ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. It kept interest rates on the loans unchanged. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) added 300 billion yuan ($44 billion) through the medium-term lending facility at 3.25%, according to a statement from the central bank. It also ...

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