February, 2019

• 5 February

  Nigerian military kills militants in airstrike

  Bloomberg Nigeria’s air force bombarded suspected insurgent targets in northern Borno state, killing militants belonging to the IS of West Africa Province, the army said. The attack on February 2 followed intelligence reports showing the presence of the fighters and their equipment in the area, Ibikunle Daramola, a spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force, said in an emailed statement. Boko ...

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• 5 February

  Trudeau rallies Venezuela neighbours in support of Guaido

  

  Bloomberg Justin Trudeau brought together Venezuela’s neighbors to voice support for a peaceful handover of power, making a modest pledge of humanitarian aid for the country and those who’ve fled economic crisis under the regime of Nicolas Maduro. The Canadian prime minister hosted the Lima Group, which includes Brazil, Colombia and other Latin American nations, in Ottawa. The group recognized ...

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• 5 February

  Brexit: May visits N Ireland to win support

  

  Bloomberg Prime Minister Theresa May was expected start a two-day visit to Northern Ireland on to try to bolster support for her divorce deal with the European Union, as she faces fresh pressure to scrap the so-called backstop plan for the Irish border. The embattled premier has until next week to secure changes to the backstop — the insurance policy ...

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• 5 February

  Anti-EU momentum stirring in Norway

  Bloomberg Kicking off the year in a T-shirt proclaiming that she “loves, loves the EEA,” Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide hinted at the high-stakes fight that’s brewing in Norway over its relationship with the European Union. Soreide’s show of passion comes 25 years after Norway linked itself to the EU in a free-trade deal as part of the European Economic ...

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• 5 February

  BP profit beats expectations

  

  Bloomberg BP Plc joined its Big Oil peers by giving investors a positive surprise, exceeding profit estimates and earning better returns than its closest European rival. Shares surged by the most in almost three years. New projects delivered an increase in oil and gas output, while the company also worked its existing fields and refineries more efficiently than ever. That ...

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• 5 February

  Total weighs bid for Eneco Group in challenge to Shell

  

  Bloomberg French oil giant Total SA is working with advisers as it weighs an offer for Eneco Groep NV, joining a number of financial and industry bidders for the Dutch utility, including rival Royal Dutch Shell Plc, people familiar with the matter said. The firm, which is owned by dozens of Dutch municipalities and is due to be auctioned this ...

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• 5 February

  Gas shortage idles US auto factories

  Bloomberg The three largest automakers in US suspended some operations on the coldest day of the year after a fire at a Southeast Michigan natural gas facility drastically reduced their supply of the heating fuel. Energy prices soared as freezing weather spread into the Northeast and closed a nuclear reactor in New Jersey. CMS Energy Corp.’s Consumers Energy utility sends ...

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• 5 February

  India mulls prepaid power as $5.7bn of unpaid dues pile-up

  

  Bloomberg India’s power retailers may need to start paying in advance for their electricity purchase in a bid to ease financial stress at generators. Concerned over delayed payments to generators, the federal power ministry has formed a panel to examine if distribution companies should pay generators in advance for electricity purchases, according to a power ministry document reviewed by Bloomberg. ...

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• 5 February

  India’s services sector activity cools in Jan

  

  Bloomberg Activity in India’s dominant services sector cooled in January, adding to the urgency for the central bank to do more to support the economy as it meets on interest rates. The seasonally adjusted Nikkei India Services Business Activity Index fell for the second straight month in January to 52.2 from 53.2 in December, indicating a softer expansion in output. ...

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• 5 February

  Samsung faces pressure to slash spending as chip demand slows

  

  Bloomberg With Samsung Electronics Co. set to report its first drop in quarterly profit in two years, investors are counting on the world’s biggest chipmaker to cut capital spending to keep profits flowing during a supply glut. Samsung will probably report a 15 percent decline in net income to about 10.2 trillion won ($9.1 billion) for the last three months ...

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