Bloomberg General Electric Co.’s long-suffering investors are losing what little patience they had left. The shares plunged the most since 2009 as Chief Executive Officer John Flannery’s high-profile appeal to Wall Street indicated there is no “quick fix†to the problems bedeviling the company, from weak cash flow to slow demand for gas turbines. Worse still, he offered scant reassurance ...
Read More »Britain looks to 30-day payment regulation to protect small business
Bloomberg Bankrupt contractor Carillion Plc was taking about four months to pay its suppliers before its January collapse. The minister respo- nsible for small firms says 30 days should become the national norm. The government must “make it unacceptable for big business to finance their cash flow from small business,†Small Business Minister Andrew Griffiths said in an interview. They ...
Read More »German exports drop to lowest since 2012
Bloomberg German exports fell the most in more than five years at the start of 2018, holding back growth in Europe’s largest economy. A breakdown of first-quarter gross domestic product data showed foreign sales fell 1 percent, the most since 2012. Imports also declined, and net trade knocked 0.1 percentage point off GDP. “The drop in exports could be a ...
Read More »UK too reliant on EU to keep its lights on
Bloomberg The UK should reduce its reliance on huge cables that carry electricity to and from Europe to ensure that the lights stay on. The government is overlooking the risks of relying on supplies that may not materialise, according to a report by Oxford, England-based Aurora Energy Research Ltd. Electricity on interconnector cables flows to where prices are more expensive, ...
Read More »Moon, Kim discuss ‘summit’ as Trump signals optimism
Bloomberg The leaders of North and South Korea met for two hours Saturday to discuss the canceled summit with Donald Trump, less than a day after the US leader signaled the meeting may be back on citing “very productive†talks between the two countries. South Korea’s Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in a surprise move, spent two ...
Read More »Manafort judge denies request to dismiss count in indictment
Bloomberg A federal judge denied a request by Paul Manafort, the former campaign chairman for President Donald Trump, to dismiss one of two counts in an indictment as unnecessarily overlapping. Special Counsel Robert Mueller didn’t violate the double-jeopardy clause of the US Constitution by charging Manafort with two crimes based on the exact same facts and circumstances, US District Judge ...
Read More »Trump picks anti-immigration hawk to lead refugee bureau
Bloomberg President Donald Trump announced plans to nominate a retired foreign service officer affiliated with an organisation that critics call an anti-immigrant hate group to run the State Department bureau overseeing refugee protection and resettlement. Ronald Mortensen, whose postings as a diplomat included Chad, Gabon and Australia, was tapped to be assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population, ...
Read More »Putin rejects claims of Russia role in MH17
Bloomberg President Vladimir Putin rejected accusations by the Netherlands and Australia that Russia was responsible for the 2014 crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, after investigators said they found proof the missile that downed the plane belonged to a Russia-based military unit. “No, of course not,†Putin replied when asked if a Russian missile had shot down the aircraft, killing ...
Read More »Rajoy refuses to be written off as rivals seek ouster
Bloomberg Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy is fighting to save his government from collapse after a slew of harsh jail sentences handed down by judges in Madrid exposed his party’s Achilles heel on corruption. The Socialists, the biggest opposition group, filed a no-confidence motion against him and Ciudadanos, another party, threatened to do the same unless he calls early elections. The ...
Read More »Brexit rebels in Scotland bid for ‘independence’
Bloomberg After championing the cause for staying in the European Union, Scotland’s nationalists are reigniting their effort to leave the UK with plans for a new currency, economic regime and an open door for immigrants. A report by a Scottish National Party commission made the case that Scotland should look to emulate small, better-performing economies such as Denmark and New ...
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