Stories for December 15th 2018

Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 09:41 UTC
Paraguayan judge refuses to halt Uber and clone company MUV - battle with taxis continues

Judge Letizia Paredes Friday denied the request submitted by Paraguayan taxi driver unions to keep carpool services Uber and MUV from operating but she still allowed the petition for an amparo remedy to be processed by the courts, it was reported.
Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 09:34 UTC
UN forecasts 2 million Venezuelans will emigrate in 2019

Around two million more Venezuelans are expected to flee their country during 2019, according to a United Nations forecast released Friday in Geneva. If true, the total number of Venezuelan migrants could reach 5.3 million a year from now.
Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 09:27 UTC
Falklands-Buenos Aires link: Argentina awards license and route to low-cost airline

The Argentine government awarded low-cost airline Flybondi a 15-year license to exploit 284 domestic and international routes, including one that potentially can link Buenos Aires directly with the Falkland Islands.
Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 09:20 UTC
Investigation into the death of Guatemalan child in the custody of US Border Patrol

An investigation has been launched after a seven-year-old girl died while in the custody of the US Border Patrol. The Guatemalan child, named as Jakelin Caal Maquin, was detained last week after crossing the US-Mexico border with her father, officials say.
Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 09:20 UTC
Euro falls on disappointing French and German economic prospects

The Euro has fallen against the dollar after disappointing French and German economic surveys dismayed the markets. In France, private sector business activity contracted for the first time in two and a half years as the “gilets Jaunes” protests took their toll.
Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 09:14 UTC
Brexit: Britons will have to pay €7 every three years to travel to EU countries

Britons will have to pay €7 (£6.30) every three years to travel to EU countries, as a consequence of Brexit. The European Commission has confirmed that while UK travelers will not need a visa, they will need to apply for and buy another document.
Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 09:00 UTC
Johnson & Johnson shares plunge following on Reuters' report of asbestos in talcum powder

Shares in Johnson & Johnson plunged more than 10% on Friday, after Reuters reported that the US pharmaceutical giant had known about asbestos tainting its talcum powder for decades.
Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 08:52 UTC
Australia will recognize West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, but won't move from Tel Aviv until a peace deal

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that his government will recognize West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. However, he said Australia's embassy would not move from Tel Aviv, until a peace settlement was achieved. He added Australia also recognized the aspirations of the Palestinians to a state with a capital in East Jerusalem.
Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 08:49 UTC
Apple pledges to build a “Silicon Valley” in Texas: US$ 1bn investment

Apple has announced plans to build a new campus in Austin, Texas, saying the project will involve a one-billion-dollar investment. The company already has an existing base in the city. The iPhone-maker said it expected the latest move would eventually make it in the state's capital biggest private employer.
Saturday, December 15th 2018 - 08:45 UTC
A hard Brexit will leave the UK “near bankrupt” and “the closure of quite a few businesses”

Sir Richard Branson has warned that the UK will be left “near bankrupt” in the event of a hard Brexit. He told the BBC he was “absolutely certain” that leaving the EU without a deal would lead to the closure of “quite a few British businesses”.