Stories for December 20th 2018

Thursday, December 20th 2018 - 23:49 UTC
Team which identified unnamed bodies in Darwin on the brink of collapse as Argentine gov't withholds funds

The Argentine Anthropology Forensics Team (EAAF) Thursday announced it will no be able to carry on with its work since the Argentine government had not wired the funds agreed upon.
Thursday, December 20th 2018 - 18:24 UTC
Mapuche leaders indicted for trespassing at Vaca Muerta

The Office of Neuquén's Chief Prosecutor Wednesday filed charges against businessman Gabriel Cherqui, Mapuche Community of Neuquén (CMN) spokesman Jorge Nahuel and activist Gilberto Huilipan for promoting the May 2017 trespassing by Mauche demonstrators into the Vaca Muerta oil fields.
Thursday, December 20th 2018 - 17:00 UTC
Colombia expels Venezuelan citizen with a FARC past

Colombian migration authorities Wednesday confirmed Venezuelan national Carlos Manuel Pino García was in custody in Bogotá, to be eventually deported Thursday.
Thursday, December 20th 2018 - 12:21 UTC
Argentina, Nicaragua pull out ambassadors as diplomatic tension grows

In a local replica of the #MeToo movement, actress/model Thelma Fardin last week announced with the backing of radical feminist groups that she had been abused by actor Juan Darthes while on tour in Nicaragua. At the time of the alleged abuse in 2009, Fardin was 16 and therefore a minor. Darthes has already been “buried alive” and any show or commercial ad with his face has been removed from national TV.
Thursday, December 20th 2018 - 09:32 UTC
Ex minister of Rousseff accused of receiving millions in bribes from JBS food company

Brazilian Federal Police raided the home of Science and Technology Minister Gilberto Kassab on Wednesday following accusations that he received millions in bribes from the JBS food company between 2010 and 2016.
Thursday, December 20th 2018 - 09:21 UTC
Another Brexit referendum “plausible” if deadlock in Parliament persists

Another Brexit referendum will become a “plausible” way forward if there is deadlock in Parliament, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has said. She told ITV's Peston show while she did not personally support another vote, the case for one would grow if MPs could not agree another solution.
Thursday, December 20th 2018 - 09:20 UTC
IMF Executive Board approves US$7.6 billion disbursement for Argentina

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed on Wednesday the second review of Argentina’s economic performance under the 36-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) that was approved on June 20, 2018.
Thursday, December 20th 2018 - 09:14 UTC
European Union starts implementing preparations for a no-deal Brexit

The European Commission says it has started to implement its preparations for a no-deal Brexit - in case the UK leaves the EU without a plan. It has announced temporary measures to try to reduce the impact but says it cannot counter all the problems it expects.
Thursday, December 20th 2018 - 09:09 UTC
In best US tradition, Trump says IS has been defeated and withdraws troops from Syria

The Trump administration says US troops are being withdrawn from Syria, after the president said the Islamic State (IS) group had been “defeated”. The Pentagon said it was transitioning to the “next phase of the campaign” but did not give details.
Thursday, December 20th 2018 - 09:06 UTC
A third of vintage Scotch whiskeys are found to be fake

More than a third of vintage Scotch whiskeys tested at a specialist laboratory has been found to be fake, BBC Scotland has learned. Twenty-one out of 55 bottles of rare Scotch were deemed to be outright fakes or whiskeys not distilled in the year declared.