Bloomberg The US and Taliban leaders are moving towards a peace deal that would see the eventual withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and an end to the 18-year long conflict, according to the militant group’s spokesman and a person in Washington familiar with the talks. It’s the second time in recent months the two sides have appeared close to ...
Read More »Thai court acquits opposition party over monarchy charge
Bloomberg Thailand’s second-biggest opposition party escaped dissolution on Tuesday after being acquitted of seeking to oust the monarchy. The Constitutional Court in Bangkok ruled there wasn’t enough evidence to back up the accusation against the Future Forward party. The monarchy sits at the summit of power in Thailand and top royals are treated as semi-divine. Televised images showed the court ...
Read More »Tunisia attempts again to form government
Bloomberg Tunisia’s president named a former finance minister to pull together a new government, in a fresh bid to build consensus in the North African nation battling deep political rifts and an ailing economy. Elyes Fakhfakh’s appointment is the latest bid by President Kais Saied to kick-start a stalled political reform after his earlier choice, Habib Jemli, was unable to ...
Read More »Guaido meets Pompeo in push to oust Maduro
Bloomberg Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Bogota and was expectd to the World Economic Forum in Davos, as he rallies international backing for his campaign to oust president Nicolas Maduro. In Colombia, Guaido also received the renewed support of President Ivan Duque during a meeting at the presidential palace. They visited ...
Read More »Global economy likely to strengthen in 2020: IMF
Bloomberg The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted the world economy will strengthen in 2020, albeit at a slightly slower pace than previously anticipated amid threats related to trade and tensions in the Middle East. Global growth will accelerate to 3.3% from 2.9% in 2019, marking the first pickup in three years, the fund said. Both figures are down compared with ...
Read More »BOJ leaves rates unchanged, raises growth forecasts
Bloomberg The Bank of Japan (BOJ) took a brighter view of the economy and left its main policy settings unchanged on Tuesday, offering a further indication that it is unlikely to add to its stimulus. As had been widely expected, the BOJ raised its growth projections for the first time in a year, thanks to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s $120 ...
Read More »Pound gains as jobs data hits BOE ‘rate cut’
Bloomberg The pound advanced after the UK’s employment rate hit a record high, weakening the case for an imminent interest-rate cut. Sterling rose against all its Group-of-10 peers as the UK labour market figures ended a run of weak economic data. Money markets trimmed bets that the Bank of England (BOE) will lower borrowing costs on January 30 to around ...
Read More »â€˜Palladium may surge to test $3,000, then slide’
Bloomberg Palladium’s extraordinary rally has the potential for prices to go on and test $3,000 an ounce, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc’s Jeffrey Currie, who twinned that outlook with a clear warning that such peaks wouldn’t last for long as the record levels would cut into demand. “The upside potential is significant as the market is now in a ...
Read More »UBS misses key targets in challenge to Iqbal Khan overhaul
Bloomberg UBS Group AG missed key targets for 2019 as investors pulled money late in the year, underscoring the challenge for new wealth management co-head Iqbal Khan as he seeks to turn around its most important business. The Swiss bank failed to meet several metrics set during a revamp of its goals just over a year ago, highlighting mounting headwinds ...
Read More »Many branch jobs are still safe from machines: Citi CEO
Bloomberg Citigroup Inc spends about $8.5 billion a year on technology, but the bank’s boss says that doesn’t mean branch workers will all be replaced by machines anytime soon. Modernising the bank’s app and digital-banking experience won’t necessarily result in Citigroup needing fewer people in its retail bank, Chief Executive Officer Michael Corbat said on Tuesday in a Bloomberg Television ...
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