Latest news and views in Brief
By Terje Solsvik and Ole Petter Skonnord OSLO, Jan 15 (Reuters) – Norwegian fertiliser firm Yara International has been fined 295 million crowns ($48.5 million) after a cross-border bribery investigation by the country’s economic crime unit. Yara, one of the world’s biggest fertiliser firms, paid or agreed to pay $12 million in bribes between 2004 and 2009, the … Read more
From the SA Press Association: The news that Cape Town has been ranked as the top holiday destination for the year by British newspaper The Guardian and the US’s The New York Times was welcomed by Western Cape tourism MEC Alan Winde on Monday. “This is great news for our city’s tourism sector and excellent … Read more
From Reuters: President Barack Obama on Friday nominated former Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer to be vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, and tapped two others to round out the U.S. central bank’s top ranks just as it begins winding down its historic economic stimulus. Fischer, an experienced crisis manager and one of the world’s most prominent economists, would succeed Janet Yellen, … Read more
Indonesia is set to ban mineral ore exports from Sunday, in a move that threatens to spark mass layoffs, mine closures and lower foreign revenue in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Government officials are scrambling to take steps to soften the impact of the ban, part of a 2009 mining law aimed at forcing miners to build smelters … Read more
From the SA Press Association: The SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) admits some glitches have been experienced in the e-toll collection system, The Citizen reported on Friday. Spokesman Vusi Mona told the newspaper there had been some “genuine” complaints about the system. “There are genuine customer complaints. There is no system that is foolproof … Read more
By Matt Scuffham and Steve Slater of Reuters: LONDON – Standard Chartered’s finance director is leaving as part of a reorganisation, depriving the Asia-focused bank of one of its key executives as it navigates a new era of weaker growth and tougher regulation. The surprise move, which sent shares in the bank down some 3 percent to their lowest in … Read more
From the SA Press Association: Sanral has denied claims that it lied about the number of e-tags in circulation, Business Day reported on Thursday. “It would be downright stupid of us to lie about this,” SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) CEO Nazir Alli was quoted as saying. Responding to claims by the Opposition to … Read more
The debate between conservationists and hunters is likely to ratchet up a few notches after disclosures a Texan hunting club secured a permit to hunt a Namibian rhino – and expects it to sell for up to $1m. The news has led to extreme outbursts, some so threatening that the FBI has been called in … Read more
PARIS – The French digital privacy watchdog is fining Google 150,000 euros ($204,000) for breaking rules on ensuring data privacy. The CNIL agency said on Wednesday that Google’s new privacy policy -which applies to all of its services from e-mail to calendars – isn’t specific enough about how and why it collects data from users … Read more
From the Associated Press: ZUCHINCHOR – More than 300 fishermen in southern Senegal have urged their government to crack down on Russian trawlers operating illegally off the coast of this West African nation, saying their livelihoods are at stake. Irama Djiba, president of a fishing association in the regional capital of Ziguinchor, said Wednesday the … Read more