Stories for August 19th 2016

Friday, August 19th 2016 - 13:22 UTC
Argentine judge opens investigation on death of one of Spain's greatest modern poets

An Argentine federal judge has opened an investigation into the death of Spanish poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca, who is believed to have been executed in 1936 by forces loyal to General Francisco Franco. Garcia Lorca’s fate remains a mystery after the site near the Spanish city of Granada where he was believed to have been buried was excavated in 2009 without finding human remains.
Friday, August 19th 2016 - 13:17 UTC
US Federal Reserve reiterates concern with stubbornly slow rate of inflation

United States Federal Reserve officials believed last month that near-term risks to the U.S. economy had subsided and that an interest rate increase could soon be warranted. But they did not indicate when they would likely raise rates.
Friday, August 19th 2016 - 13:08 UTC
UK health officials call on university students to vaccinate against Meningitis

Health officials in the United Kingdom have reported a progressive increase in cases of the deadly bacterium, Meningitis W (MenW), prompting calls for university students to get vaccinated. Cases of MenW have been increasing year-on-year, from 22 cases in 2009 to over 200 cases in the past 12 months, according to Public Health England.
Friday, August 19th 2016 - 12:59 UTC
Argentina's Supreme Court rules gas rate increases must be rolled back

Argentina's Supreme Court on Thursday blocked President Mauricio Macri's move to slash natural gas subsidies, a much-hated policy that has sent customers' bills soaring. The ruling is the hardest blow yet to the business-friendly president's move to eliminate electricity, gas and water subsidies which he says are bloating the deficit and sapping the struggling economy.
Friday, August 19th 2016 - 10:50 UTC
European Olympic Committee head Hickey arrested in Rio for alleged sale of tickets

Police in Brazil investigating illegal Olympic ticket sales have arrested the head of the European Olympic Committees, Irishman Patrick Hickey, 71, who is suspected of being involved in a scheme to sell tickets for higher than their face value. He was taken to hospital as a precaution, and will probably stay the night there, police said.
Friday, August 19th 2016 - 10:39 UTC
Trump overhauls campaign team to try and reverse poor opinion polls

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump overhauled his presidential campaign team for the second time in less than two months, hiring the head of a conservative news website to bolster his combative image and try to reverse poor opinion poll numbers. Trump named Steve Bannon, head of the Breitbart News website, as campaign chief executive officer, a new position.
Friday, August 19th 2016 - 10:25 UTC
US Olympic swimmers fabricated robbery story to cover up a night of heavy drinking in Rio

The two U.S. swimmers who were abruptly taken off a plane and detained in Rio on Wednesday night have been allowed to leave the country and are headed for the United States.
Friday, August 19th 2016 - 10:11 UTC
Argentina points to Uruguay for causing a “vacuum” in Mercosur and the current situation

Argentina considers that Uruguay created a “vacuum” in Mercosur when it unilaterally adopted the decision to devolve the block's presidency, and creating an unprecedented situation. Since then Mercosur has been involved in a serious controversy over the transfer of the presidency to Venezuela, which has strongly discredited the South American block.