Stories for December 26th 2018

Wednesday, December 26th 2018 - 22:44 UTC
Chile: Piñera needs constitutional reforms to change procedure for removal of Carabineros chief

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera Wednesday morning announced he would seek a constitutional reform before Congress to bring to an end the “founded decree” mechanism to remove Carabineros' director generals after last week's dismussal of General Hermes Soto.
Wednesday, December 26th 2018 - 12:30 UTC
Pro-choice groups will try again in 2019 to legalize abortion in Argentina

Supporters of the voluntary interruption of pregnancy (IVE) bill have announced they will make yet another try in March 2019 to get the Argentine Congress to allow women to legally seek an abortion if they so desire, it was reported.
Wednesday, December 26th 2018 - 09:11 UTC
Seven-year old girl tells president Trump she still believes in Santa Claus

The seven-year-old girl whose phone call with President Donald Trump on Christmas Eve went viral has said she still believes in Santa Claus. Mr Trump threw doubt on the existence of Santa in the call with Collman Lloyd from Lexington in South Carolina.
Wednesday, December 26th 2018 - 09:09 UTC
Argentine woman freed after being abducted 32 years ago

An Argentine woman seized in the 1980s by people traffickers has been reunited with her family in a joint operation by Argentine and Bolivian police. The whereabouts of the woman, who is now 45, had been unknown until earlier this year when police received a tip-off she was in Bermejo, south Bolivia.
Wednesday, December 26th 2018 - 09:06 UTC
Abdicating Emperor Akihito underlines his reign has seen “Japan free of war”

Japan’s Emperor Akihito, marking his 85th birthday — his last before his upcoming abdication — said he feels relieved that his reign is coming to an end without having seen his country at war and that it is important to keep telling younger people about his nation’s wartime history.
Wednesday, December 26th 2018 - 09:03 UTC
Busy Christmas: UK rescues illegal immigrants in the English Channel

Forty migrants, including two children, have been rescued from boats in five separate incidents on Christmas Day in the English Channel. Lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter intercepted a boat carrying 12 people and a child off the coast of Deal, Kent, at about 04:30 GMT. And a girl was one of eight who arrived in Folkestone at about 02:40 GMT.
Wednesday, December 26th 2018 - 08:59 UTC
RBS applies for a banking license in Germany; the bank already has on in the Netherlands

The Royal Bank of Scotland has applied for a German banking license to help it retain clients in the European Union in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The move applies to all its subsidiaries, but would only affect NatWest, which trades across the bloc.
Wednesday, December 26th 2018 - 08:55 UTC
Petrobras plans to invest US$ 84bn mainly in pre-salt areas by 2023

Petrobras has unveiled plans to invest US$ 84.1bn in deepwater exploration and production projects in Brazil, as well as raise $27bn through asset sales and partnerships by 2023. Around US$ 69bn of the planned investment will be channelled into the development of production in the pre-salt areas. Other key focus areas of investment include refining, transportation, trading, and natural gas and petrochemicals.
Wednesday, December 26th 2018 - 08:53 UTC
Bolsonaro after Israel technology to water the parched northeast

Brazil's president-elect Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday said he wants an agreement with Israel to build desalination plants in the parched north where droughts are frequent. In a message on Twitter, Bolsonaro, who is to take office on Jan. 1, said his appointed Science and Technology Minister Marcos Pontes will travel to Tel Aviv in January to meet with his Israeli counterpart over the matter.
Wednesday, December 26th 2018 - 08:52 UTC
Managua acknowledges 340 political prisoners, NGOs speak of almost twice as many

A total 340 people have been reported Tuesday to be incarcerated in Nicaragua for their involvement in anti-givernment actions, according to the National Prison System, as the administration of President Daniel Ortega has been going through a socio-political crisis since April that has left hundreds dead and thousands either under arrest or injured. Human rights NGOs estimate the number of detainees to be almost twice as many.