Stories for December 2016

Wednesday, December 7th 2016 - 21:54 UTC
Massive rift in Antarctica: could become the largest iceberg since 2000

A massive rift in the Antarctica has been spotted by NASA, but the troubling details about the rift is causing the agency to worry. The ice shelf in Larsen C that is close to breaking off is as big as the size of the state of Delaware.
Wednesday, December 7th 2016 - 17:34 UTC
Uruguay's unemployment drops to 7.1% in October

Unemployment in Uruguay in October fell to 7.1% and marked the lowest monthly record of the year, according to data published on Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). In September this index was at 8.4% and a year ago, in October 2015, at 8.5%.
Wednesday, December 7th 2016 - 12:16 UTC
Japanese tech firm meets Trump and pledges to invest US$ 50bn in the US

Shares of Japanese technology firm Softbank have soared to their highest level in more than one year in Tokyo trade, jumping 5% at the open. That is on news Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said he will invest US$50bn in US businesses. But details are lacking on where the money will go and how it will benefit American businesses.
Wednesday, December 7th 2016 - 11:57 UTC
Supreme Court debates if PM May can use a regal prerogative to implement Brexit

Four day debate Five months after United Kingdom's referendum to abandon the European Union, the question of who actually gets to pull the trigger on Brexit remains a muddle. Prime Minister Theresa May says she does. A high-level British court argued otherwise last month, ruling that Parliament must have a say. Now it’s up to the U.K. Supreme Court, which this week began hearing arguments in a case that could complicate May’s plan to set in motion Britain’s exit by the end of March.
Wednesday, December 7th 2016 - 11:38 UTC
PISA global education survey has mostly Asian countries in the top ten

Singapore has come top of the class in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) latest global education survey, with the Asian city-state's students the highest performing in tests on basic academic skills. Japan came in second in the OECD's survey, followed by Estonia, Taiwan and Finland. Japan and Canada, which came seventh, G7 nations fell lower in the data.
Wednesday, December 7th 2016 - 11:05 UTC
Argentina excluded from OECD PISA academic tests: information deemed “insufficient”

Argentina has not been included in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s ranking of education quality because the information provided by the country was deemed insufficient. The OECD-designed PISA test evaluates the academic performance of 15-year-olds in 71 countries around the world in math, science and reading comprehension. It’s been conducted every three years since 2000.
Wednesday, December 7th 2016 - 10:57 UTC
Constitutional clash in Brazil, Senate disobeys Supreme Court: countdown for Temer presidency?

Brazil moved a step closer to a constitutional crisis on Tuesday as the head of the Senate refused to abide by a Supreme Court Justice ruling stripping him of his powerful post. A defiant Sen. Renan Calheiros told reporters he won’t recognize a decision handed down late Monday by a single high-court judge. The clash could mean the beginning of the countdown for president Michel Temer weak administration and his fiscal reforms program
Wednesday, December 7th 2016 - 10:49 UTC
Merkel U-turns on immigration as she launches reelection campaign

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a public ban on the full-face veil as her political party gears up to back her for a fourth term in office. “Here we say 'show your face'. So full veiling is not appropriate here. It should be prohibited wherever legally possible,”
Wednesday, December 7th 2016 - 10:31 UTC
Italian model plans to go ahead with referendum promise to “No” voters

Following up on Madonna's example in offering sex acts for political votes, Paola Saulino, an Italian model who works in Los Angeles and had promised to perform oral sex on all those who voted “No” in last weekend's referendum in her home country, has realeased a schedule for her pledge-honoring ‘Pompa Tour.’
Wednesday, December 7th 2016 - 10:22 UTC
Cazeneuve new French PM after Valls resigns to focus on presidential campaign

Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve will replace Manuel Valls as prime minister of France, following the latter's resignation aimed at “giving his best” to the Socialist Party's presidential campaign for 2017. Valls announced Monday he would run after the incumbent and unpopular President Francois Hollande declined last week to seek a second term in office.