Carlos Ghosn to speak publicly on escape from Japan
Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn will give a hotly awaited press conference in Lebanon on wednesday, his spokesman said, offering clarity on his recent flight from Japan. Since arriving in his native Lebanon after skipping bail in Japan almost a week ago, the 65-year-old businessman has given few media statements. The circumstances of his flight…
Fighting climate change, protecting nature go hand in hand
The preservation of Earth’s pristine wildernesses and oceans, long treated as a separate issue to curbing climate change, is taking on more importance as scientists say they really need to go hand in hand. The year 2020 will be crucial as nations submit their commitments to the fight to curb global warming ahead of the…
Three senior figures arrested in Gabon graft probe
The powerful former chief of staff to Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba and two ministers in the energy sector were arrested Tuesday in a widening probe into graft in the oil-rich country. A leading figure in Gabonese politics, Brice Laccruche Alihanga, who also had ministerial rank, was arrested at his home in the morning, public…
US brokerage firm Charles Schwab acquires rival TD Ameritrade for $26 bn
Charles Schwab Corp., an early champion of retail brokerage services, announced Monday it will acquire rival TD Ameritrade for around $26 billion amid stiffening competition to attract small investors. The all-stock deal creates a giant that serves clients with $5 trillion in assets and will enable the companies to cut costs at a time when…
French NGOs slam Amazon environmental impact ahead of ‘Black Friday’
Two French environmental NGOs and a union group on Sunday slammed the environmental impact of Amazon, vowing to disrupt its “Black Friday” sale campaign later this week. The NGOs Attac and les Amis de la Terre, as well as the Solidaires association of unions, said in a report that the “world according to Amazon is…
French media launch copyright case against Google
French media organisations lodged a complaint against Google to the country’s competition authority Wednesday over the US internet giant’s refusal to pay for displaying their content. The move sets up a legal fight with Google over a new EU copyright law that could have huge repercussions for the future of the press. Earlier this year…
UK parties argue over election as EU mulls Brexit delay
Britain appeared to move a step closer Sunday to holding an early election in December, after two opposition parties backed the idea – but only if EU leaders delay Brexit until January. The Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Liberal Democrats broke ranks with the main opposition Labour party to offer Prime Minister Boris Johnson…
Trump again attacks Fed, says central bank ‘derelict in its duties’
President Donald Trump once again attacked the US Federal Reserve on Thursday, calling for more interest rate cuts to stimulate the American economy just days before a key policy meeting. “The Federal Reserve is derelict in its duties if it doesn’t lower the Rate and even, ideally, stimulate,” he said on Twitter, a relatively mild…
Facebook devotes $1 bn to affordable housing in US
Facebook on Tuesday said that it is devoting $1 billion during the coming decade in affordable housing, most of it in its home state of California. The leading social network has partnered with Governor Gavin Newsom and others on projects intended to result in as many as 20,000 new housing units for teachers, nurses, first…
US stocks boosted by good earnings day
Wall Street stocks surged Tuesday following a batch of mostly good corporate earnings while investors shrugged off a downcast IMF forecast that emphasized the drag from trade wars. Shares of Dow components JPMorgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson and United Healthcare rocketed higher following strong earnings announcements. The strong reports more than made up for a…
