2 women, man arrested in N Korean’s death in Malaysia

  KUALA LUMPUR / AP Malaysian authorities on Thursday announced the second and third arrests in the death of the North Korean leader’s half brother, whose apparent assassination this week unleashed tales of spectacular intrigue: a pair of women assailants, a broad-daylight killing and a dictator-sibling out for blood. But investigators were still piecing together details of the case, which ...

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Al-Shabab claims mortar attack near Somalia leader ceremony

  MOGADISHU / AP The Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility on Thursday for a mortar attack outside the presidential palace during a handover ceremony for the country’s new leader, a sign of the enormous security challenges he faces in trying to develop this long-chaotic country. The blasts were heard during the ceremony for President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo. The SITE ...

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Trump tax cuts could boost profit $12bn at big US banks

  Bloomberg The six largest US banks could see annual profit jump by an average of 14 percent if President Donald Trump delivers on his promise to cut corporate taxes. The lenders, which stand to benefit more than other industries because they typically have fewer deductions, could save a combined $12 billion a year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. ...

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Italy approves $21bn fund to shore up its troubled banks

  Bloomberg Italy’s parliament approved a law to plow as much as 20 billion euros ($21 billion) into Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA and other troubled lenders as part of the nation’s efforts to revamp its banking industry. The lower house gave its final approval to the legislation Thursday, converting the decree law passed by Prime Minister Paolo ...

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UBS’s Asia investment banking bonus pool declines 15 percent

  Bloomberg UBS Group AG’s Asia-Pacific investment-banking bonus pool fell about 15 percent after profit at the division slumped in the region in 2016, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The decline compares with a strong previous year, when the pool rose 20 percent, the person said, asking not to be identified because the figures are confidential. ...

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Al Rajhi bank eyes corporate banking growth

  DUBAI / Reuters Al Rajhi Bank, Saudi Arabia’s second-biggest bank by assets, aims to take advantage of opportunities arising from the country’s economic diversification plan to boost its share of corporate lending, its CEO said. Al Rajhi, Saudi Arabia’s biggest Islamic lender, is one of the dominant players in the kingdom’s consumer banking market, but has only around a ...

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DBS may be past worst of energy-loan issues: CEO

  Bloomberg DBS Group Holdings Ltd. chief executive officer signaled that the Singaporean bank may be past the worst of its problems from loans to troubled oil and gas-services companies. While the sector is “still challenged,” the formation of new nonperforming assets and bad-loan charges for the industry are expected to be “significantly lower this year,” Piyush Gupta told reporters ...

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Tweeting space robots a hit for Nasa

  Washington / DPA He may have been all alone on the Red Planet at Christmas but NASA’s robotic Curiosity rover said he didn’t “feel lonely.” At the beginning of the year, he wished everyone a “HappyNewYear from Mars!” And though he had a small problem with his drill just before the holidays, he was quick to reassure his Twitter ...

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A lumbering entry into modern warfare

  Muenster / DPA The hulking grey war machine resembles a ship’s upturned hull, with one stumpy barrel protruding above the Iron Cross insignia. It’s a far cry from the Tiger and Panther tanks that ravaged WWII battlefields, but a sombre testimony to the start of a terrifying new chapter in modern warfare. The first German tank, the A7V, was ...

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Carmakers’ plea for fuel economy review sets stage for showdown

  Bloomberg Automakers enjoying lucrative sales of trucks and sport utility vehicles are hoping President Donald Trump makes good on his vows to deregulate. Environmental groups are saying fuel efficiency standards won’t be watered down without a legal challenge. “We’ll see him in court,” Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign, said of the group’s planned response if the ...

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