iPhone

Indicating that the FBI has the means itself, Edward Snowden dismissed claims that only Apple could unlock the San Bernardino shooters iPhone. Speaking via video link from Moscow to the Common Cause Blueprint for a Great Democracy conference, the NSA whistle blower said: “The FBI says Apple has the ‘exclusive technical means’ to unlock the phone. Respectfully, that’s bullshit.” The Guardian reports: Snowden then went on to tweet his support for an American Civil Liberties Union report saying that the FBI’s claims in the case are fraudulent.

Last Thursday, in a speech delivered at the University of Utah, Mitt Romney blindsided Donald Trump in what amounted to a scathing indictment of the billionaire’s ability to lead the country.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/video/players/offsite/index.html

• Global Stocks Drop on Renewed Concerns About China (WSJ)
• Iron Ore's Rally Stalls as Goldman to Citigroup Forecast Retreat (BBG)
• EU and Turkey close to groundbreaking migrant deal (FT)
• Carney's `Brexit' Stance Under Fire as BOE Accused of Bias (BBG)
• Oil edges lower after Kuwait dents hopes for output freeze (Reuters)
• OECD Leading Indicators Point to Slowing Global Growth (WSJ)
• Treasuries Rally as Japan Yields Extend Record Low on Safety Bid (BBG)

In the aftermath of last week's disappointing G-20 Shanghai summit, there was much riding on this weekend's start of the China's People's Congress, and specifically what if any stimulus announcement Beijing will make; sadly for stimulus addicts China mostly disappointed and after the unimaginative scope of growth proposals, it is hardly surprising that European stocks and US equity futures have taken a leg lower, even if Chinese stocks rose and certain commodities such as Iron Ore soared overnight on hopes China will either "rationalize" capacity or at least build some more roads to nowhere

• Rivals rip Trump but promise support if he is the nominee (Reuters)
• Employment gains seen accelerating in February (Reuters)
• Brazil's Lula Targeted in Police Raid Into Corruption Scandal (BBG)
• Economist: For The ECB, It's No Longer About Oil (BBG)
• China's premier says economy faces greater difficulties in 2016 (Reuters)
• Copper Stockpiles in China Surge to Record as Metal Flows East (BBG)
• Turkish court jails two Syrians over drowning of toddler Aylan (Reuters)