News Headlines - 08 January 2019

▽British officials 'putting out feelers' with EU for Article 50 extension

British and European officials are discussing the possibility of extending Article 50 amid fears a Brexit deal will not be completed by March 29, the Telegraph can reveal.
Three separate EU sources confirmed that UK officials had been “putting out feelers” and “testing the waters” on an Article 50 extension, even as the Government said it had no intention of asking to extend the negotiating period.

▽'Unfairly detained': Ex-Nissan boss Ghosn protests innocence | AFP.com

Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn said Tuesday he had been "wrongly accused and unfairly detained" at a high-profile court hearing in Japan, his first appearance since his arrest in November rocked the business world.
Entering the court handcuffed and with a rope around his waist, the once-revered titan of the auto industry mounted a passionate defence against a string of financial misconduct allegations.
The 64-year-old was thinner -- his family says he has lost up to 20 kilograms (44 pounds) due to the rice-based diet in his Tokyo detention centre -- and his hair was greying. He appeared in a dark suit without a tie and wore dark green plastic slippers.

▽Japan tourist tax begins to prepare for 2020 Olympics

Starting Monday, January 7, visitors to Japan will have to pay a 1,000 yen (about $9) levy when leaving.
The departure tax — dubbed a “sayonara tax” — applies to both international and Japanese travelers who travel via plane or ship, excluding children under 2 years old and those in Japan for fewer than 24 hours.
The Japan tourist tax is being implemented in anticipation of the surge in visitors expected in 2020 for the Tokyo Olympics.

▽Kim Stepping Down Early as World Bank President at Month End - Bloomberg

Jim Yong Kim abruptly resigned as president of the World Bank more than three years ahead of schedule, potentially sparking an international tussle over who replaces him as the Trump administration questions the development lender’s purpose... Kim, 59, began his second five-year term at the bank on July 1, 2017. He helped the lender win support from its member countries in April for a $13-billion capital increase, after the U.S. dropped proposals to limit the World Bank’s resources.

▽Saudi woman fleeing family temporarily admitted to Thailand | The Guardian

An 18-year-old Saudi woman seeking passage to asylum in Australia after fleeing her family in Saudi Arabia and renouncing Islam will be temporarily admitted to Thailand, Thai authorities have said.
Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun barricaded herself inside a transit zone hotel room in Bangkok airport to prevent immigration officials putting her on a flight to Kuwait after she was denied entry to Thailand while en route to Australia... Thai immigration police later released photos of the teenager after she left her hotel room late on Monday. Her destination was not made public, but she said on Twitter she was under the protection of the UNHCR and her passport had been returned. She also said her father had arrived in Thailand.