more sanctions for Russia coming
3 Officials Resign in Kenya's Electoral Body over Poll Probe
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Three commissioners from Kenya's electoral commission say they've resigned over the suspension of the chief executive officer who was sent on compulsory leave to pave way for wider investigations into the conduct of the commission in last year's elections.
The three commissioners said Monday that the vote to suspend CEO Ezra Chiloba was not done properly. Kenya's opposition claimed some commissioners in Kenya's six-member electoral authority were complicit in electoral fraud in the Aug. 8 election in which Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner but was then nullified by the Supreme Court.
Chiloba was suspended during the repeat Oct 26 election after opposition protested his involvement. Kenyatta won the repeat election after opposition leader Raila Odinga boycotted it citing lack of electoral reforms.
KENYA NEWS
WPP Chief Executive Martin Sorrell, Contending With Probe, Decided to Resign
A person close to Mr. Sorrell says he left because of exasperation with handling of probe, not because he was worried about its details becoming public
Before resigning as chief executive of WPP PLC, Martin Sorrell faced a choice: risk enduring an investigation into an allegation of personal misconduct, or leave the advertising giant he founded three decades ago, say people familiar with the board and Mr. Sorrell.
On Saturday, the 73-year-old executive said he was stepping down after what his associates and people close WPP’s board described as a weekslong effort to carry on at the company and conduct business as usual. WPP said a probe into the allegation had concluded and its findings would remain confidential.
On Monday, WPP shares were down more than 6% in late afternoon trading in London.
“He got to the situation where it was much better not to have any of these allegations in the public and move on,” said a person close to the board.
David Rubenstein steps down as Carlyle Group co-CEO
Private equity giant The Carlyle Group this morning announced major changes to senior leadership, with co-founders David Rubenstein and William Conway stepping down as co-CEOs, to be succeeded by Kewsong Lee and Glenn Youngkin. Rubenstein and Conway will become co-executive chairman of the Carlyle board, with current chairman Dan D'Aniello transitioning into a chairman emeritus role.
Why it matters: Carlyle is one of the country's largest and oldest private equity firms, and this move will be closely watched as some other private equity shops have struggled with generational succession. Also, Rubenstein has significantly raised his public profile in recent years, through both his philanthropy and his hosting of an interview program on Bloomberg Television.
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More: Peter Clare has been named co-chief investment officer, alongside current CIO William Conway Jr.
Timing: Carlyle is slated to report third quarter earnings on October 31.
Next: Sources say that Rubenstein is planning to launch a family office, likely in partnership with at least one of his [daughters.] ←–KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY.
Takata CEO Resigns
Following the takeover of the insolvent Japanese airbag manufacturer Takata by the Chinese-American automotive supplier KSS, the former Takata boss Shigehisa Takada has resigned . The company announced on Thursday last week that Key Safety Systems (KSS) had successfully completed the acquisition of nearly all of Takata’s global assets.
The new company will operate under the name of Joyson Safety Systems and will have its global headquarters in Michigan, USA. The head office responsible for Europe, the Middle East and Africa will be in Aschaffenburg. Takata’s former executive director, Yoichiro Nomura, will now be responsible for repayment to creditors.
The group plunged into crisis because of a malfunction of a component in the gas generators for airbags which resulted in a global recall of many car models. In the event of long exposure to heat and humidity, the airbags could be triggered in the event of an accident, splinters could then be thrown through the vehicle interior . Currently, Takata is responsible for the supply of replacement gas generators for the ongoing recalls. In the medium term, however, the division is to be discontinued.
Japan PM Abe's woes deepen as ratings drop, predecessor predicts resignation
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's political crisis deepened on Monday after polls showed that suspected cronyism scandals have pushed his support to record lows and a popular predecessor said Abe would probably resign in June.
In another headache for the conservative premier, the finance ministry's top bureaucrat has come under fire after a weekly magazine reported he had sexually harassed several female journalists. The bureaucrat on Monday denied the accusations and said he would file a lawsuit against the magazine's publisher.
Abe’s sliding ratings raise doubts about whether he can win a third three-year term as ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader in a September vote, that he needs to win to stay in office, or whether he might resign before the party vote.
Speculation has even emerged that Abe, who surged back to power for a second term as prime minister in December 2012, promising to reboot a stale economy and bolster Japan's defenses, could call a snap general election as he did last October when his ratings were in a similar slump.
A survey by broadcaster Nippon TV released on Sunday showed Abe's support had sunk to 26.7 percent, the lowest since he took office in December 2012. An Asahi newspaper poll on Monday put his support at 31 percent.
The latest signs of trouble for Abe come ahead of a summit this week with U.S. President Donald Trump, where the difficult topics of North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and trade will be on the agenda.
"The situation is getting dangerous. Won't Mr Abe resign around the time parliament's session ends?" former premier Junichiro Koizumi, a one-time Abe mentor, said in an interview published by the online edition of the weekly magazine Aera.
The session ends on June 20.
Koizumi - a critic of Abe's support for nuclear power after the 2011 Fukushima accident - said that if Abe hung on, it could hurt LDP candidates in an upper house election next year.
Crowds of protesters demonstrated near parliament on Saturday, holding signs saying "Abe is Over" and chanting "Abe quit!" Organisers said 50,000 people took part.
The Asahi survey, in line with others, showed that two-thirds of voters did not trust Abe's explanations that he was not involved in the cronyism scandals.
Abe has denied that he had intervened to ensure preferential treatment for the educational institution Kake Gakuen, run by his friend Kotaro Kake, to set up a veterinary school.
He has also repeatedly denied that he or his wife intervened in a heavily discounted sale of state-owned land to another school operator, Moritomo Gakuen, which has ties to his wife.
FINANCIAL MARKETS BLASE
The Moritomo affair has ensnared the finance ministry, which has admitted officials doctored documents related to the land-sale.
The ministry is also in an unwelcome spotlight over the sexual harassment allegations against Administrative Vice Finance Minister Junichi Fukuda.
He has denied the allegations, published by the Shincho magazine, and vowed to sue its publisher for defamation.
Fukuda apologized for causing trouble for the minister and ministry officials "by inviting public distrust", the ministry said.
Financial markets have not reacted to the latest fall in Abe’s support as many investors think he can survive, as he did last year when the cronyism scandals eroded his ratings.
"If Abe will have to leave, that would be a big deal but I don’t see that happening yet,” said Soichiro Monji, chief strategist at Daiwa SB Investments.
Many investors also noted the risk of “Abexit” looks small compared with the more immediate risks of a possible trade war and a planned summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that could leave Japan isolated.
Who would replace Abe, who has managed the rare feat of staying in office more than five years, is unclear.
Former cabinet minister Shigeru Ishiba, who wants to challenge Abe for the top post, topped a list of politicians that respondents to a weekend Kyodo news agency survey saw as best suited to become the next premier, with 26.6 percent.
Popular young LDP lawmaker Shinjiro Koizumi - ex-prime minister Koizumi's son - ranked second with 25.2 percent, with Abe in third place with 18.3 percent.
Former foreign minister Fumio Kishida, another possible contender, was fourth with 5.9 percent followed by Internal Affairs Minister Seiko Noda at 3.6 percent and Foreign Minister Taro Kono with 2.9 percent.
Among LDP supporters, however, Abe was top with 36.7 percent against 24.7 percent for Ishiba, Kyodo said.
None of the potential successors has outlined clear agendas, although Ishiba and Kishida have suggested more attention should be paid to public debt and that the hyper-easy monetary policy central to the premier's "Abenomics" growth strategy could not continue forever.