IN BRIEF (Page 12)

European Union

MasterCard fined in antitrust action

The EU has fined global credit card giant MasterCard $647 million for limiting competition between banks offering cheaper payment fees. "By preventing merchants from shopping around for better conditions offered by banks in other member states, MasterCard's rules artificially raised the costs of card payments, harming consumers and retailers," EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said. After Visa, MasterCard is the second largest credit card issuer in the European market. It has been the subject of an EU antitrust investigation since April 2013, and has cooperated with the probe.

Spain

Ronaldo pleads guilty to tax fraud

Cristiano Ronaldo pleaded guilty to tax fraud on Tuesday and received a two-year suspended sentence. The Juventus forward, who was facing charges stemming from his days at Real Madrid, was in court for about 45 minutes and signed an agreement which will cost him nearly $21.6 million in fines. Ronaldo arrived at court in a black van and was accompanied by his lawyers and his partner, Georgina Rodriguez. A few hundred journalists waited outside but the Portuguese player did not stop to talk. The court had dismissed Ronaldo's request to enter the building directly from the parking lot, which would have allowed him to avoid the media. The request was made for security reasons, but the court said it didn't think the measure was needed despite the player's fame.

Russia

Suspected hijack after plane takes off

Russian authorities said that a plane bound for Moscow had been forced to land shortly after takeoff on Tuesday because of a suspected hijacking. The National Anti-Terrorism Committee said an unnamed man on the flight from the Siberian city of Surgut to Moscow ordered the crew to divert the plane to Afghanistan. The plane landed in the city of Khanty-Mansiysk. It was not immediately clear if the man was armed and what his demands were. Authorities said that as of Tuesday night the man was still on board the plane, which sat on the runway in Khanty-Mansiysk.

United Kingdom

Beefeaters on strike over pensions

Workers at the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace - including some of London's famed Beefeaters - are on strike in a dispute over pensions. The historic attractions, among London's most popular, remained open on Tuesday despite the work slowdown, which is the second in the last two months. The dispute is between workers and Historic Royal Palaces, which operates a number of prominent sites in Britain. Union officials said a recent settlement offer was not good enough. The Tower of London houses the Crown Jewels and has long been one of London's most visited sites. The ceremonial guards at the Tower, known popularly as Beefeaters, are instantly recognizable by their ornate black and red uniforms.

Japan

Airport tests driverless bus to shuttle visitors

Visitors pouring into Japan's Haneda airport for the Tokyo Olympics next year may find themselves ferried to and from planes on driverless buses, currently being tested at the major hub. Six Japanese firms jointly started a 10-day experiment with a self-driving prototype minibus last week. On Tuesday, officials allowed a sneak peak at the automated transportation, which is being tested with a safety driver in the front seat. The vehicle holds a maximum of 10 people and cruises along a route connecting two terminals at a speed of up to 30 km/h using GPS and magnetic markers on the road.

AFP - Reuters - AP

(China Daily 01/23/2019 page12)