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DACA decision in the balance Yahoo News
November 12, 2019Read More
Days to Brexit deadline: 80(Bloomberg) — Sign up here to get the Brexit Bulletin in your inbox every weekday.Today in Brexit: Nigel Farage has made his move, pledging to hold Boris Johnson’s feet to the fire.What’s happening? The landscape of the upcoming U.K. general election is coming more clearly into view. Nigel Farage’s decision not to run Brexit Party candidates in seats held by Conservatives means that what was a wildly confusing four-party scramble is now effectively a 3.5-party dash, with Farage’s team half-in, half-out. “I have got no great love for the Conservative Party,” Farage said at a rally in Hartlepool, in the northeast of England, as he announced his plan. He repeats that phrase in the Telegraph this morning. He talks of giving Prime Minister Boris Johnson “half a chance” to deliver Brexit “by keeping him honest and holding him to account.”Farage’s loyalty to Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal hardly runs deep. Farage made his move only after the prime minister pledged on Sunday night not to seek an extension of the post-Brexit transition period past Dec. 31, 2020. He told BBC Newsnight that his aim is to win some seats in the upcoming election and hold Johnson to his promise when the Westminster drama resumes in the new year. Farage makes no secret of his preference for what he calls a “clean break” Brexit — otherwise known as a no-deal exit — and his excoriating views on the details of Johnson’s deal remain easy to find on the Brexit Party website. With experts skeptical that a wide-ranging EU-U.K. trade deal can be negotiated and finalized before the end of next year, pressuring Johnson in this way remains perhaps Farage’s best hope of the Brexit he craves.What does it mean for the election? There are two takes on this. Andrew Hawkins, chairman of polling company ComRes, told Bloomberg that Farage’s move means the Labour vote is going to be split in key Tory-Labour marginal seats in the north of England, opening a path for the Tories to win. YouGov’s Chris Curtis says the opposite, arguing that the Brexit Party damages the Tories most by staying in the race in seats the Conservatives need to win. Current polls don’t reflect Farage’s move. In any case, Farage’s switch away from a 600-seat strategy will only increase the difficulty of modeling this election, and the shape of Brexit, until the actual votes are counted.Today’s Must-ReadsThere’s a danger in overdoing the Tory celebrations, Therese Raphael writes for Bloomberg Opinion: Johnson will still have to scrap with Farage for Labour seats.Despite their protestations, the Liberal Democrats would put Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn in office to stop Brexit, former Tory leader William Hague writes in the Telegraph.Watching Farage cull half his party’s candidates was to see a man facing the final curtain, Robert Shrimsley writes in the Financial Times.Brexit in BriefOn the Markets | The pound was quick to rally on news of Farage’s decision, rising the most in three weeks as traders judged that the Brexit Party’s move will boost the chances of a Tory majority on Dec. 12. Sterling traded at $1.2863 early on Thursday. Recession Avoided | The Farage boost to sterling was just the latest evidence that the pound is more affected by politics than data these days; it barely reacted to anemic growth figures earlier on Monday. Investment is in a slump and the economy has lost almost all momentum, official figures showed, though quarterly growth of 0.3% nonetheless kept the U.K. out of a recession. The next snapshot of the U.K. economy comes with unemployment figures at 9:30 a.m. today. Economists expect the jobless rate to stay at 3.9%.After Carney | There’s “no need” to extend Mark Carney’s tenure as governor of the Bank of England, Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid told Bloomberg. Javid said the government would act “very quickly” to announce a new name if the Conservatives win the election. He also promised to reveal details of the Conservative’s fiscal plans at a post-election budget “within weeks” of polling day. Follow the Money | A Conservative majority on Dec. 12 is now the most likely election result, according to betting markets.Boles’ Choice | Can’t decide who to vote for in the upcoming election? Former Tory MP Nick Boles might not be the election analyst you need, in that case. He didn’t mince his words in Monday’s Evening Standard, lamenting an “appalling choice” between “a compulsive liar” and a “blinkered Pharisee.”Coming Up | Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn on the campaign trail in Blackpool, northwest England at 11 a.m. Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson travels to Wales for a campaign rally at 6 p.m.Want to keep up with Brexit?You can follow us @Brexit on Twitter, and listen to Bloomberg Westminster every weekday. It’s live at midday on Bloomberg Radio and is available as a podcast too. Share the Brexit Bulletin: Colleagues, friends and family can sign up here. For full EU coverage, try the Brussels Edition.For even more: Subscribe to Bloomberg All Access for our unmatched global news coverage and two in-depth daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close.To contact the author of this story: Adam Blenford in London at [email protected] contact the editor responsible for this story: Caitlin Morrison at [email protected], Leila TahaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
November 12, 2019Read More
Israel assassinated a senior Islamic Jihad commander inside the Gaza Strip early on Tuesday, prompting a barrage of retaliatory rockets from Palestinian militant groups and leaving both sides bracing for serious escalation. Israeli warplanes killed Ba…
November 12, 2019Read More
(Bloomberg Opinion) — There is never a good time for Israel to learn that Iran is edging closer to a nuclear bomb, but Tehran’s recent announcement that it is escalating its centrifuges and uranium enrichment comes at an especially fraught moment. Israel is effectively without leadership, both at home and in Washington. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump are both caught up in legal and political troubles that consume their attention. Neither seems willing or able to come up with real answers about how to confront the situation. Many experts say that these new developments could put Iran within a year of break-out time to a nuclear weapon. That doesn’t necessarily mean it would be ready for delivery. Nor would Israel be unprotected. It has its own unconventional air, land and sea based deterrents, as well as a maturing anti-missile capability. Even so, neither Israel nor the U.S. can afford to ignore the Iranians’ actions. Until recently, it seemed their closeness, and the relationship between the two leaders, would have ensured no developing threat would go unchecked. Now, that seems wishful thinking.Israel has enjoyed a honeymoon with the Trump administration during which Bibi wielded great influence. It was he, more than any American adviser, who convinced Donald Trump to withdraw from the nuclear pact negotiated by President Obama. The U.S. replaced that pact with a 12-point program aimed at reining in Iran’s aggressive regional behavior, dismantling its nuclear capacity and modifying (or changing) the regime in Tehran. The plan reflected Netanyahu’s thinking. Trump’s commitment to defeating the Islamic Republic was taken for granted by many Israelis, including Netanyahu himself. It appeared that the U.S. president was fully on board. He imposed harsh economic sanctions on Iran, stepped up military aid to Saudi Arabia and other enemies of Iran and spoke boldly of ending Iranian aggression and hostility. But so far those sanctions haven’t had their desired effect. If anything, they have emboldened the Iranians, which downed an unmanned American aircraft and, according to U.S. intelligence, attacked Saudi Arabian oil installations with impunity. Now it’s questionable whether he’d honor the pledge never to allow Iranians to get nuclear weapons. Israel’s leading strategic experts warned the prime minister he was being reckless when he put his chips on Trump. Better, they said, to accept the Iran nuclear deal. Flawed as it was, at least it provided a degree of control over the Iranian nuclear program. Trump is nothing if not unpredictable and perhaps some event might trigger the attack on the Iranian nuclear program that Bibi hoping for. But Trump’s time and attention are elsewhere. If Iran is really less than a year away, military force (leading to regime change) will be necessary. That’s not likely in the midst of an impeachment process and an election. Netanyahu is in a similar situation. A decade ago, Bibi invested billions of dollars and considerable political capital in preparing a unilateral strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. That kind of attack was feasible in 2012, when the Iranian sites were less fortified and more vulnerable. Today, most Israeli strategists believe it’s not. Even to attempt it would require American-supplied bunker-busters and a green light from Washington. And such a daring and dangerous operation, one that could trigger a wider war in the region, would require a country unified behind the prime minister. It is very possible that Netanyahu will emerge from the present coalition talks as the next prime minister. But even then he would lack the stature he had a decade ago. Two years of nasty legal combat over alleged corruption and dereliction of duty have diminished him. He sometimes seems out of control. His newly appointed Minister of Justice, Amir Ohana, is a political stooge who, at Bibi’s behest, has attacked the prosecution and the nation’s legal system that have inspired an unprecedented rebuke by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. The selection of a new Minister of Defense, Naftali Bennett, shines a spotlight on how far Bibi is prepared to go to save himself at the county’s expense. Bennett’s main qualification for the defense job is that he heads a small party Bibi needs to form a coalition government. Netanyahu let it be known that he will be Israel’s de facto defense chief, not Bennett. If so, that isn’t reassuring. A growing number of Israelis no longer view him as essential, or even highly competent, but rather as an embattled politician trying to keep his job and stay out of prison. Anything Bibi now says about the gravity of Iranian nuclear escalation will be viewed through the prism of his ambition to stay in office. Ultimately, dealing with the threat from Iran, which will likely mean regime change in Tehran, is best left to future, less compromised leaders in Washington and Jerusalem. To contact the author of this story: Zev Chafets at [email protected] contact the editor responsible for this story: Therese Raphael at [email protected] column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Zev Chafets is a journalist and author of 14 books. He was a senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and the founding managing editor of the Jerusalem Report Magazine.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
November 12, 2019Read More
(Bloomberg) — Boris Johnson will seek to capitalize on Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage’s announcement he won’t contest seats won by the Conservatives in 2017. The prime minister will now be free to concentrate on winning opposition held districts.Joh…
November 12, 2019Read More
In the wake of an internal survey that detailed multiple allegations of rape and sexual harassment of its female staffers, the leader of the World Food Program is vowing to go after abusers. David Beasley, the U.N. agency’s executive director, said in…
November 12, 2019Read More
“You’re not just selling an address,’’ a video producer said, “you’re selling a lifestyle.” Attractive actors and expensive cars flesh out the fantasy.
November 12, 2019Read More
Israel has targeted two senior commanders from the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, killing one in the Gaza Strip and missing the second in Syria as it steps up its battle against Iran and its proxies across the region. Bahaa Abu el-Atta and …
November 12, 2019Read More
(Bloomberg) — Want the lowdown on what’s moving European markets in your inbox every morning? Sign up here.Good morning. Donald Trump is making a closely watched speech, U.K. election math has shifted and protests rage on in Hong Kong. Here’s what’s moving markets.Trump SpeechU.S. President Donald Trump will make a lunchtime speech at the New York Economic Club and the market is on tenterhooks for any comments about trade, taxes, drug prices and everything in between. Trade is the key topic and the question will be whether the president will stick to prepared remarks or go off-script. There have been conflicting signals and stocks took a dip on Monday as the optimism around a possible trade deal started to wane; keep in mind there are consequences for both sides if a deal isn’t reached, in particular for American farmers.Brexit MathThe math has changed a touch in the U.K. election, though quite how much is still a debate. Nigel Farage and his Brexit Party will not contest a few hundred seats against the Conservatives, potentially clearing a path to wins for the Tories but still leaving plenty of marginal seats in the game. Still, the bookmakers now have Boris Johnson on track to win, though whether he will win the majority he needs to push through his Brexit deal is still on a knife edge and one can assume there are plenty more twists and turns to come.Hong KongPro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong gathered Tuesday in the city’s financial district for a second day running, having once more disrupted the morning commute by blocking subway lines and clashing with police. The escalation of the tensions weighed on Asia-focused financials like HSBC Holdings Plc and Prudential Plc on Monday and if this is the new normal, that could continue to be the pattern. Fake news and rumors circulating among the protesters appears to be fanning the flames and heightening the distrust and violence, making resolving the matter a much more difficult task.Car PartnersIndia’s Tata Group, the owner of Jaguar Land Rover, is said to have approached the likes of China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding and BMW AG as it seeks to form partnerships for its British autos business to share the huge cost burden of investing in creating a new generation of electric vehicles. Car companies are increasingly looking towards mergers and partnerships, as seen with the combination of PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, to bulk up and work through this expensive, transitional period for the industry. One positive for autos, however, is the U.S. may delay tariffs on imported vehicles.Coming Up…Stocks were mixed in Asia, with eyes still on the trade picture and Hong Kong, and European futures are pointing to a slightly positive open. There’s a smattering of European data to digest, including unemployment numbers in the U.K. and the ZEW economic sentiment indicator for Germany. Earnings ramp up again, with the bill topped by telecoms giant Vodafone Group Plc, U.K. broadcaster ITV Plc and German car parts maker Continental AG.What We’ve Been ReadingThis is what’s caught our eye over the past 24 hours. Ignoring women costs the financial industry $700 billion a year. Adidas abandoned its robot factory experiment. Wealthy folks have amassed $121 billion in tax-sheltered accounts. Burger King’s plant-based Rebel Whopper has been unveiled in Europe. Scary Spice wants to talk to Tesco’s CEO. A branded Amazon grocery store is on the way. Could gimmicky airline safety videos put passengers in danger?Like Bloomberg’s Five Things? Subscribe for unlimited access to trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and gain expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close.Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. Learn more.To contact the authors of this story: Sam Unsted in London at [email protected] Serafino in Paris at [email protected] more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
November 12, 2019Read More
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday dangled the prospect of completing an initial trade deal with China “soon” but offered no new details on negotiations in a campaign-style speech touting his administration’s economic record. Markets had been on e…
November 12, 2019Read More
(Bloomberg) — Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg’s daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every weekday morning.With euro-area economic growth likely to stay muted for the next couple of years, it remains to be seen how badly the engine is damaged and what it will cost to repair. Data later this week are likely to show Germany either in a recession or just skirting one. Investor sentiment indicators due out today will give a taste of what comes next. German businesses are already turning more pessimistic on China, one of their biggest markets. And with monetary policy maxed out, any further evidence of a downturn will amplify calls for Angela Merkel’s government to provide bold economic stimulus — something it has so far vehemently resisted.What’s HappeningCarbon Clash | Germany’s competitive challenges were laid bare in a forgotten frenzy over carbon fiber, which BMW and its peers bet would be the core of future automobiles. But the push, which came as Tesla was inventing the iPhone on wheels, proved to be more of an engineering vanity project and highlights the shortcomings of a corporate culture with a bias for stability. Here’s more.NATO Strains | NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg heads to Washington, where he’ll hold a series of meetings, including with Donald Trump. His trip comes days after Emmanuel Macron said Trump’s unilateral withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria marked the “brain death” of the trans-Atlantic alliance. Meanwhile in Brussels, EU defense ministers will talk about EU-NATO cooperation, a discussion that Macron’s comments made a lot more interesting.Farage’s Gift | While a group of EU lawmakers debate the latest on Brexit in Brussels today, Boris Johnson’s chances of winning the U.K. general election got another boost after Nigel Farage said his party wouldn’t contest Tory seats. The move should help Johnson’s efforts to secure a majority for a Brexit deal, but Farage’s party continues to pose a threat in other key regions.Cambodia Action | The EU may move a step closer today to imposing trade sanctions against Cambodia over alleged humans-rights violations, just days after it sent troops to its border and called on neighbors to arrest exiled dissidents, accusing them of plotting a coup. The Commission is due to send a monitoring report to the Cambodian government as part of a threat to suspend a policy that lets it export all goods except weapons duty-free and quota-free to the EU.In Case You Missed ItGerman Unity | Merkel signaled support for her deputy’s push to break a years-long impasse over Europe’s banking integration, saying Monday evening in Rome that the proposals from Finance Minister Olaf Scholz go in “the direction that we need.” While not officially endorsed by the government, Merkel’s comments reflect a willingness to negotiate on establishing EU-wide bank deposit insurance.In the Air | EU regulators stopped the clock on their antitrust probe into Boeing’s plan to invest in Embraer, saying they hadn’t received sufficient information. The heightened scrutiny puts new pressure on Boeing’s plan to take an 80% stake in a venture controlling Embraer’s commercial airplane and services businesses, a move that would broaden its reach into the regional-jet market and position the two companies to better compete with Airbus. A review can only be restarted once the Commission gets the answers it needs.Slovak Split | Slovakia’s former authoritarian premier, Vladimir Meciar, announced he will lead a new party into general elections, adding to the number of groups seeking to derail the country’s pro-western orientation. The vote comes amid rising frustration over corruption, which has boosted liberal and center-right parties but also fueled support for nationalist anti-establishment groups.Warsaw vs Netflix | Poland’s prime minister wrote an official letter to Netflix requesting that the company correct facts about the Holocaust in a documentary series. His move follows last year’s decision by the nationalist ruling Law & Justice party to outlaw the phrase “Polish death camps” and make it a criminal offense to suggest that Poland was complicit in the mass murder of Jews during World War II.Chart of the DayBritain dodged a recession ahead of the now-postponed Brexit deadline, but the figures underscored the economic challenge facing whoever wins next month’s election. The latest numbers give parties across the political spectrum something to latch on to as they campaign, with both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn unveiling massive spending plans in a bid to woo voters.Today’s AgendaAll times CET.8:30 a.m. EU defense ministers meet in Brussels, to discuss EU-NATO cooperation, third-country participation in joint military projects 3 p.m. The European Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee debates Brexit state of play ECB Supervisory Board Chair Enria, EBA Chair Campa, EU Commission Vice President Dombrovskis speak at an event on Basel III in Brussels NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg travels to Washington D.C. for four-day trip EU trade chief Malmström in Gothenburg, Sweden, participates in panel discussion on the Global Economy EU antitrust chief Vestager receives the Harvard Club Leadership Prize in Brussels ECB Executive Board member Coeure speaks at money markets event in Frankfurt First parliamentary sitting since Polish election, with Morawiecki to form new government as the ruling party battles for control of the upper houseLike the Brussels Edition?Don’t keep it to yourself. Colleagues and friends can sign up here. We also publish the Brexit Bulletin, a daily briefing on the latest on the U.K.’s departure from the EU. For even more: Subscribe to Bloomberg All Access for full global news coverage and two in-depth daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close.How are we doing? We want to hear what you think about this newsletter. Let our Brussels bureau chief know.\–With assistance from Jonathan Stearns and Zoe Schneeweiss.To contact the author of this story: Viktoria Dendrinou in Brussels at [email protected] contact the editor responsible for this story: Heather Harris at [email protected], Iain RogersFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
November 12, 2019Read More
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