World New for Nigerians Today 1 January 2019
Gabon’s President Speaks for the First Time after Stroke and Trump says I’m Working, You’re Partying. Continue reading iDonsabi News for more…
1. Mercedes-Benz Closes 2018 with Worldwide Crazy Sales
Mercedes-Benz has once again set a new sales record towards the end of this year. 198,545 vehicles with the Mercedez- Benz cars were sold to customers all over the world last month.
In the first eleven months of the year, 2,103,653 Mercedes-Benz passenger cars were handed over to customers, which is 0.4% slightly above that of last year.
Last month alone, the three-pointed star brand its market leadership in the premium segment in markets like Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, South Korea, Japan, Australia and the USA.
2. Back My Brexit Deal and Let Britain ‘Turn a Corner’ – Uk PM May
British Prime Minister, Theresa May urged lawmakers on Monday to back her Brexit deal, promising that it would allow the country to “turn a corner” and let the government focus on solving domestic problems such as housing and a skill shortage.
May made the appeal in her New Year’s message about two weeks back before a make-or-break vote in parliament on her plan for Britain’s exit from the European Union which is due to happen on March 29.
The vote, which May postponed in December to avoid defeat, will be a pivotal for the world’s fifth-largest economy. It will determine whether Britain follows her plan for a managed exit and relatively close economic ties, or faces massive uncertainty about the country’s next step.
3. Donald Trump: I’m Working, You’re Partying, Happy New Year!
President Donald Trump sent a New Year’s greeting to the American people, reminding them that he was still at the White House trying to get funding for border security.
“While I’m at the White House working, you’re out there partying tonight, but I don’t blame you,” Trump said in a video posted to Twitter.
The president remained at the White House on Monday, missing his traditional New Year’s Party at Mar-a-lago as the partial government shutdown continued.
“Enjoy yourselves, have a great year, have a really, really, Happy New Year!” Trump had said.
4. Thai Man Guns Down Six Family Members, Including Kids at New Year Party
A Thai man who felt slighted by his in-laws shot dead six family members including his two young children at a New Year’s Eve party before turning the gun on himself.
The mass shooting took place 10 minutes after midnight as the Thai, Sucheep Sornsung joined his wife’s family for the New Year party in the southern province of Chumphon.
Sucheep was “heavily” drunk when he pulled out his gun and pulled the trigger at the table in the beauty parlour where the party was being hosted.
5. Kim Jong-Un Offers to Meet Trump for Second Summit, But Warns US Not to ‘Misjudge’ His Patience
Kim Jong-un on Tuesday renewed his pledge to denuclearize and said he was ready to meet Donald Trump, the US president, for a second time, but the North Korean leader warned Washington not to “misjudge” his patience and that he may reverse course if there was no sanctions relief.
In particular, he demanded an end to South Korea’s joint military exercises with the US and to crippling economic sanctions.
“I am always ready to sit down again with the US president at any time and will make efforts to produce an outcome that the international community would welcome.”
He also added “we could be left with no choice but to seek a new way if the US does not make good on its promises, misjudges our patience, while seeking to force things unilaterally and clinging to sanctions and pressure’.
6. Restaurant Forced Into Bankruptcy Due To Customers Eating Too Much
Reports say that a buffet restaurant, (now tagged All-You-Can-Eat Restaurant) closed down after two weeks because the customers were eating too much food, it really doesn’t surprise anyone though.
In the Chinese city of Chengdu, customers of the Jiamener restaurant could purchase a membership card for $25 (€21.50), which entitled them to unlimited food.
However, what the restaurant had failed to do – and admitted was a bit of an oversight on their part – was stop the customers from sharing those membership cards with their friends and family.
This lead to huge queues forming outside the restaurant before it even opened, and remaining in place throughout the day, as they were forced to deal with over 500 customers every business day.
Speaking to a local news outlet, restaurant co-owner Su Jie said “The uncivilized behaviour of the diners was secondary – the main problem was our poor management.” They admitted.
7. Gabon’s President Speaks For the First Time after Stroke
Gabon’s president Ali Bongo has addressed his compatriots for the first time since suffering a stroke on October 24, in a New Year’s message recorded in Morocco and distributed via social and traditional media on Monday.
“It is true that I have been through a difficult period, as sometimes happens in life,” he said in a recorded video.
The 59-year-old leader has not been home to Gabon since he fell ill in Saudi Arabia more than two months ago. A lack of official news sparked fevered speculation that he was incapacitated or even dead.
A single photograph of Bongo and two videos without sound were published in the two months after his stroke, further fuelling rumours that he was dead.
8. SA Arrests Mozambique’s Ex-Finance Minister for Extradition to US
A former finance minister of Mozambique, who approved secret loans that plunged the country into a crisis, had been arrested in South Africa awaiting extradition to the United States.
Manuel Chang (63), was “arrested on Saturday for USA extradition”, SA Police Spokesman Vishnu Naidoo had revealed.
“He is appearing today at Kempton Park court,” said Naidoo, referring to a magistrate’s court in a district near Johannesburg’s O.R Tambo International Airport.
9. China Pushes For Supremacy in Space
China has poised to realize an ambitious mission to the far side of the moon, the most immediate of many planned milestones in its effort to challenge America’s half-century-long supremacy in space.
In a first for any country, the Chang’e-4 probe is set to touch down on the “dark side” of the moon on or around Jan. 3, and dispatch a rover in a vast crater to explore the moon’s interior.
According to China’s State Media, “While impressive in itself, the mission is a step toward bolder objectives: China plans to operate a manned lunar base by 2030 and lead the world into a new age of space exploration”.
For its part, the U.S. is reviving its manned space program after letting it languish in favour of unmanned exploration.
10. DR Congo Awaits Outcome of Volatile Presidential Election
The Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday began a tense wait for the results of a volatile presidential election which could see the first peaceful transfer of power in decades.
But there were reports of clashes at polling stations in the restive eastern South Kivu province that claimed the lives of a police officer, an electoral official and two civilians.
According to INEC equivalent of Congo, CENI, Provisional results are due to be announced on January 6, final results on January 15 and the new president sworn in on January 18.
