Stories for January 16th 2017

Monday, January 16th 2017 - 17:46 UTC
Airbags maker Takata agrees to pay US$ 1bn in penalties for concealing defects

The Japanese car parts maker Takata has agreed to pay US$1bn in penalties in the US for concealing dangerous defects in its exploding airbags. The firm, which also has assembly plants in Brazil and Uruguay, also pleaded guilty to a single criminal charge, the company and the US Department of Justice said..
Monday, January 16th 2017 - 17:40 UTC
Sterling drops ahead of Theresa May's Tuesday Brexit speech

The British pound has fallen against the dollar to below US$1.20 ahead of a key speech from Theresa May on Brexit this week. Sterling fell 1.5% against the US currency on Sunday to its lowest level since the flash crash in October.
Monday, January 16th 2017 - 17:35 UTC
Prison massacres (and beheading) continues in Brazil, this time 30 inmates in Natal

The latest in a string of brutal prison massacres involving suspected gang members in Brazil has killed at least 30 inmates, most of whom were beheaded, officials said on Sunday. The bloodbath erupted Saturday night in the overcrowded Alcacuz prison in the northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte. Similar violence at other jails in Brazil left around 100 inmates dead in early January.
Monday, January 16th 2017 - 11:04 UTC
Trump says Brexit a 'great thing,' will meet PM May to reach trade deal with UK

US-President-elect Donald Trump said in a newspaper interview published on Sunday that “Brexit is going to end up being a great thing.” He also confirmed he will be meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May soon after his inauguration on January 20 to finalise a trade agreement between the two countries that will be “good for both sides.”
Monday, January 16th 2017 - 09:50 UTC
Azul to operate daily Belo Horizonte-Ezeiza nonstop flight

Over 1,200 reservations were registered during first week after services were made available, Fabián Lombardo, the company's representative in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, announced. The company will fly daily from Belo Horizonte to Buenos Aires (Ezeiza) starting March 6.
Monday, January 16th 2017 - 08:39 UTC
Theresa May cover girl for the American April edition of Vogue

British PM Theresa May is to turn cover girl as she features in a fashion spread for the American edition of Vogue, Downing Street has confirmed. The 60-year-old PM secretly posed for renowned celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz in a shoot which is due to be featured in the magazine's April edition.
Monday, January 16th 2017 - 08:38 UTC
Doktor Mengele's bones useful to medical students in Brazil

The bones of Josef Mengele, an infamous German doctor who conducted horrific experiments on prisoners at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II to the point of becoming known as “Angel Of Death,” are now at the service of Brazilian medical students.
Monday, January 16th 2017 - 08:18 UTC
Chilean eco terrorist group claims responsibility for parcel bomb against CEO of largest copper corporation

An eco-terrorist group said it was responsible for a parcel bomb that detonated at the home of the chairman of the board of Chilean state-owned mining giant Codelco, the world’s biggest copper producer.
Monday, January 16th 2017 - 08:10 UTC
CIA director cautions Trump about his off-the-cuff remarks: spontaneity does not protect national security interests

Outgoing CIA director John Brennan on Sunday offered a stern parting message for Donald Trump days before the Republican U.S. president-elect takes office, cautioning him against loosening sanctions on Russia and warning him to watch what he says.
Monday, January 16th 2017 - 08:05 UTC
Ex president Lagos nominated as pre-candidate for Chilean November election

Ricardo Lagos, a leading opponent of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet who later went on to serve as president from 2000 to 2006, on Saturday accepted his party's nomination to run in the 2017 presidential election.