November, 2019

• 18 November

  De Ruyter is surprise choice for CEO of South African power firm

  

  Bloomberg South Africa appointed Andre de Ruyter as chief executive officer of Eskom Holdings SOC, the debt-strapped utility that provides about 95% of the nation’s electricity and poses the biggest threat to its economy. De Ruyter, who is currently the CEO of Nampak Ltd, will take up the post on January 15, the Department of Public Enterprises said in a ...

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• 18 November

  Poland moves ahead with $60 billion power project

  Bloomberg After at least a decade of preparations, coal-reliant Poland may be one step away from embarking on its biggest power project ever, with talks on securing the $60 billion in financing entering the final stretch. The country is seeking a foreign investor for a 49% stake in the company that will be responsible for building and operating six reactors, ...

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• 18 November

  Hong Kong court finds Lam’s mask ban unconstitutional

  

  Bloomberg A Hong Kong court has found that the local government’s controversial mask ban unconstitutional, delivering a fresh legal blow to an administration struggling to contain increasingly violent protests. The High Court ruling came on Monday in response to a challenge filed by the city’s opposition lawmakers. Chief Executive Carrie Lam imposed the ban last month by invoking colonial-era emergency ...

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• 18 November

  Trump, Kim at odds over N-talks deadline

  

  Bloomberg The bonhomie between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is nearing a key deadline showing new signs of strain. Trump urged Kim to “act quickly” to get a nuclear deal done, suggesting the two leaders could meet again “soon.” His comments came hours after North Korea ruled out nuclear talks without a policy change by the ...

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• 18 November

  ‘Probe’ turns to Trump ally at heart of Ukraine storm

  

  Bloomberg After weeks of Republican complaints that the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry relied on secondhand information, the centerpiece of the public hearings is testimony from a man with a direct line to President Donald Trump. The political peril for Trump, who was dealt a series of setbacks, will be heightened as the House investigation accelerates with three days of public hearings ...

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• 18 November

  Rajapaksa promises ‘tolerance’ for minorities

  

  Bloomberg Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who won Sri Lanka’s bitterly contested presidential poll, promised tolerance for all religions and cultures in a nation where racial tensions have divided communities for decades. “All minorities’ right to practice religion and culture will be assured,” Rajapaksa said at his swearing in ceremony at a highly venerated Buddhist site in the north central district of Anuradhapura. ...

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• 18 November

  Macron seeks to slow EU member expansion

  

  Bloomberg Emmanuel Macron wants to make it tougher for the European Union to accept new members, adding to signs of French unease at the prospect of Balkan countries joining the bloc and raising the risk of further strains with Germany. In a document circulated to EU governments, France said the process of EU enlargement should be more “gradual,” terms of ...

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• 18 November

  What if Europe slides into the recession?

  

  While almost everyone in Washington is glued to impeachment developments, Europe has been quietly drifting towards a recession. This is bad news for Christine Lagarde, the former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), who is now the president of the European Central Bank (ECB). It may also be bad news for the rest of us. By the usual indicators ...

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• 18 November

  Corbyn wants to nationalise internet

  

  Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party is behind in the polls for the UK election so it’s unsurprising that he’s chucking out more giveaways to voters. The policy to nationalise BT Group Plc’s fixed-telecoms networks business and provide free fiber broadband to every British household is a humdinger nonetheless. Of course, the chances of this becoming reality are slim given that Corbyn’s ...

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• 18 November

  This shale oil deal puts the ‘pit’ in ‘capitulation’

  

  Here’s a company that really wants to get bought: As you can see, that wasn’t the case with Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc. up until quite recently. Back in early 2018, when it was trading at about $17 a share, the exploration and production company rejected activist Kimmeridge Energy Management Co.’s calls to either sell the whole company or a ...

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