DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn arrested over financial misconduct Nissan Motor Company said on Monday it was moving to fire its highflying chairman, Carlos Ghosn, from his post after he was arrested for using company money for personal use and engaging in other serious acts of misconduct. Ghosn, who heads the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, was arrested in Tokyo on violation of financial regulations including misreporting his income. Shares in French carmaker Renault plunged as much as 12 percent as the news of his alleged misconduct broke - Renaultʼs lowest level in about four years. Nissan said the violations were discovered during an investigation over several months that was instigated by a whistleblower.
Romania offshore gas law plays with fire Romaniaʼs untapped oil and gas potential of up to 200 billion cubic meters, or bcm, in the Black Sea has attracted the interest of the worldʼs oil and gas majors, including US giant ExxonMobil and Austriaʼs OMV Petrom. Romania already covers almost all its gas use from its domestic onshore production and could double that over the next two decades when — or perhaps now if —offshore sources are added to supply. The Eastern European country produces 10.5 bcm of gas a year, mostly onshore, and consumes 11-12 bcm, making it largely independent of Russian gas, something others in the region can only envy. Other EU members are in fact scrambling to define coherent energy strategies that donʼt make them too reliant on Russian imports, hence the spike in interest in Romania, as well as US and Norwegian gas.
264/2018 • 20 NOVEMBER, 2018
German President Steinmeier calls for ʼnew startʼ with South Africa He praised South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
Steinmeier landed in South Africa on Monday for a three-day visit with a delegation of leading German businesses. Ahead of the visit, he praised South African President Cyril Ramaphosaʼs anticorruption efforts. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier kicked off a three-day visit to South Africa on Monday to promote closer diplomatic and economic ties with Africaʼs secondlargest economy. "The time is ripe for a new start in German-South African relations," he told South Africaʼs Sunday Timesnewspaper ahead of the visit. Steinmeier praised South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for fighting corruption and winning trust since entering office in February. He said those efforts would make the country – the only African member of the Group of Twenty (G20) industrialized countries – more attractive for German investments. A delegation of leading German businesses, including the chief executives of Siemens and state-owned development bank KfW , are accompanying Steinmeier during the visit. Some 600 German companies operate in South Africa, Germanyʼs biggest
trading partner in Africa. In 2017, Germany exported €9.5 billion ($10.9 billion) to South Africa and imported €7.3 billion. German firms in particular, Steinmeier said, were in a position to help South Africaʼs youth. "The country needs prospects in the labor market for its young, ambitious population. That also requires investment," he said. "We want to make a contribution in this area." Steinmeier also called on both countries to increase their cooperation in the United Nations and on tackling climate change. "We want to support South Africa in actively advancing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," he said. Steinmeier, who is also set to visit neighboring Botswana, is scheduled to meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday in Cape Town. Roman Herzog was the last German head of state to visit South Africa in 1998.
Yemeni government confirms participation at peace talks The government backed by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries has said it will send delegates to UNbacked peace talks. The last set of peace talks in September failed after Houthi rebels failed to show up. The Saudi Arabia-backed government of Yemen confirmed on Monday that it would take part in peace talks sponsored by the United Nations. The government also called on the UN to "pressure" Yemenʼs Houthi rebels to attend the talks without conditions. The announcement coincided with a speech by Saudi Arabiaʼs King Salman in which he reiterated his countryʼs support for the UN efforts to end the war. The Iran-backed Houthis have fought a three-anda-half-year-war with the Yemeni government and analliance of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia.
Germany issuing travel bans to 18 Saudis over Khashoggiʼs death Germany has triggered proceedings to ban 18 Saudi citizens allegedly involved inthe murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggifrom entering Europeʼs border-free Schengen zone, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Monday. "We still have more questions than answers in the Khashoggi case," Maas said on the sidelines of a European Union meeting in Brussels, adding that he had discussed the decision with Britain and France prior to his announcement.
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