Stories for December 2016

Tuesday, December 27th 2016 - 07:53 UTC
Tension mounts as strong Chinese fleet of aircraft carrier and navy vessels spotted south of Taiwan

What China's Defense Ministry deemed as “routine exercises,” was cause for grave concern among Taiwanese authorities as a strong Chinese fleet led by the Soviet-built Liaoning aircraft carrier escorted by five other warships entered the top half of the South China Sea on Monday passing southeast of the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.
Monday, December 26th 2016 - 23:37 UTC
Macri reshuffles economic team after the promised second half recovery never arrived

Argentine President Mauricio Macri on Monday reshuffled his economic team removing finance minister Alfonso Prat-Gay amid a stubborn recession, soaring budget deficit, a discussion on gradualism to address inflation and public opinion deep disappointment with center-right reforms.
Monday, December 26th 2016 - 14:33 UTC
Falklands government secures environmental planning contract with Aedis

The Falkland Islands Government have secured the services of Tees Valley based building control firm Aedis. The contract will see Aedis delivering a raft of professional consultancy services based upon their building control expertise. This includes providing a remote plan checking service to help the Falkland Islands Environmental Planning Department ensure all new building work complies with the necessary building regulations.
Monday, December 26th 2016 - 14:28 UTC
Argentine bishops warn Macri, and the political leadership, about poverty, jobs and drugs

Argentine Catholic bishops visited president Mauricio Macri for the annual Christmas greeting but again expressed concern about poverty, the drugs trade and called on the political leadership of the country “to create the conditions for the common good.”
Monday, December 26th 2016 - 05:50 UTC
Chileans survive strong Christmas Day earthquake

A 7.6/7.7 degrees earthquake affected five regions in southern Chile on Sunday but left no fatal casualties. “There is no loss of human life,” National Emergency Management Office (ONEMI) Director Ricardo Toro said.
Monday, December 26th 2016 - 04:50 UTC
Tucuman Airport evacuated due to yet another bomb threat

Tucuman's Teniente Benjamin Matienzo Airport, 1,250 km north of Buenos Aires, was evacuated Saturday after a bomb threat in the second such incident at the air terminal in one week. The previous case turned out to be a joke.
Monday, December 26th 2016 - 04:24 UTC
Israel summons ambassadors from UN Security Council member states (not US) over Friday's resolution

Israel's Foreign Ministry on Sunday announced it was summoning ambassadors from the United Nations' Security Council member states, ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said. He added that the 14 envoys are to visit the ministry in Jerusalem on Monday. The representative of the United States' was not on the “guest” list.
Monday, December 26th 2016 - 04:08 UTC
“You lot can sod off”, ex Top Gear Clarkson Xmas greeting for Tierra del Fuego

Jeremy Clarkson, the ex leading star of one of BBC's most successful programs, Top Gear is back again squabbling with his not so generous hosts in the extreme south of Argentina. A veteran provocateur which feeds into British nationalism, this time in his Christmas greetings he had a special reference to Tierra del Fuego from which he was chased away in late 2014.
Monday, December 26th 2016 - 04:05 UTC
Uruguayan government fights climate change: only official met forecasts are to be reported

The Uruguayan government seems to have found the clue to climate change phenomena: it is looking into the legal aspects of limiting weather information, forecasts and warnings, to the official reports from the national Met Office, Inumet (veiled censorship?), which has on several occasions missed to anticipate some serious climate events.
Monday, December 26th 2016 - 03:40 UTC
Singer, songwriter George Michael dies “peacefully,” aged 53

Fans of the former member of the WHAM duo were shocked in disbelief on Christmas Day as Michael Lippman, the publicist of the 53-year-old star, conveyed the news to the media: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period,” he said in a statement at around 11pm.