Stories for January 15th 2016

Friday, January 15th 2016 - 12:31 UTC
Toxic gas cloud in Brazil's main and busiest port area sends tens to hospital

Toxic gas which on Thursday leaked from tanks in a cargo warehouse in the Brazilian coastal city of Guaruja, close to Santos the country's largest and busiest port, has sent some 40 people to hospitals.
Friday, January 15th 2016 - 12:24 UTC
Criminal charges against mining companies involved in major waste spill in Brazil

Police in Brazil said Thursday they have brought criminal charges against two mining companies and seven executives over a mine waste spill that buried a village and killed 17 people.Federal police accuse Brazilian iron ore giant Vale, mine operator Samarco and company officials including Samarco's chief executive, Ricardo Vescovi, of violating Brazil's environmental crimes law in connection with the disastrous November 5 collapse of a waste reservoir.
Friday, January 15th 2016 - 12:13 UTC
US Treasury and Homeland after identification of high end real estate deals in cash

The United States is hunting down international criminals who launder money through real estate deals, with the Treasury Department ordering title insurance companies to report the identities of people paying cash for high-end properties in Miami and Manhattan.
Friday, January 15th 2016 - 12:09 UTC
FIFA fines federations for homophobic remarks from fans, including Argentina, Chile and Uruguay

Anti-gay chants by fans have led to fines for six football associations. Match reports revealed that fans of Argentina, Chile, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay yelled homophobic remarks during qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup.
Friday, January 15th 2016 - 12:04 UTC
Fiat-Chrysler faces allegations of encouraging dealers to inflate monthly sales

Italian-American carmaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is denying allegations that it encouraged dealers to inflate monthly sales. The car company is being sued by a US dealer who says it encouraged dealerships to lie about monthly car sales.
Friday, January 15th 2016 - 09:24 UTC
Desperate for funds Rousseff offers amnesty to holders of undeclared offshore assets

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Thursday signed a bill that gives amnesty to holders of undeclared offshore assets in exchange for a fine, part of efforts to cut a swelling budget gap and revive investment in the recession-hit economy. The law offers amnesty from prosecution to Brazilians if they bring unreported foreign funds home and pay a 30 percent fine in the form of tax.
Friday, January 15th 2016 - 09:13 UTC
Petrobras scandal prosecution-informer involves president Rousseff in the scheme

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, and three former heads of state have been dragged into the investigation into the huge corruption scheme in the state-run oil firm Petrobras. According to informer Nestor Cerveró, Rousseff was personally involved in negotiations for votes in Congress in exchange for top jobs in Petrobras.
Friday, January 15th 2016 - 09:04 UTC
Falklands offers a PhD studentship opportunity in marine ecology research

Falklands fishing company Fortuna Ltd., the Falklands' Fisheries Department and the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute, SAERI are sponsoring a research opportunity for a Science honors graduate to embark on a career in academic or applied marine ecology in the Islands.
Friday, January 15th 2016 - 08:45 UTC
UK ambassador participates in academic forum on climate change in Chile

British Ambassador Fiona Clouder and United States Ambassador Michael Hammer participated in the event “Sustainable Investment” last week organized by the Corporate Leaders Group on climate change (CLG Chile) in conjunction with the Faculty of Business and Economics from the University of Chile and the Harvard Law School.
Friday, January 15th 2016 - 08:06 UTC
Strong hints of a vast canyon system hidden under the Antarctic ice sheet

A vast, previously unrecognized canyon system could be hidden under the Antarctic ice sheet. Hints of its presence are seen in the shape of the white continent's surface, in a largely unexplored region called Princess Elizabeth Land. If confirmed by a proper geophysical survey - now under way - the winding canyon network would be over 1,000km long and in places as much as 1km deep.