Stories for December 4th 2023

Monday, December 4th 2023 - 10:50 UTC
EU-Mercosur deal slowly vanishing

The European Union's Commissioner who was due to attend the Dec. 7 Mercosur Summit in Rio de Janeiro to sign the trade agreement between both blocs has canceled his trip, it was reported Sunday. According to the Financial Times, Valdis Dombrovskis shall not be attending the event, which in addition to announcements in Buenos Aires and Brasilia coupled with further negative statements from French President Emmanuel Macron, would amount to the end. at least for now, of the much-heralded agreement.
Monday, December 4th 2023 - 10:42 UTC
France to donate € 500 million to Brazil's Amazon Fund

French President Emmanuel Macron Saturday pledged € 500 million over the next three years to Brazil's Amazon Fund, while the United Kingdom announced an additional £ 35 million (around € 40.78 million) in addition to the £ 80 million (€ 93.22 million) it had already announced in May, Agencia Brasil reported.
Monday, December 4th 2023 - 10:32 UTC
Former top US diplomat arrested for working for Cuban gov't

The Colombian-born Manuel Rocha, a 73-year-old former diplomat who served as US Ambassador to Bolivia and was also in charge of the Embassy in Buenos Aires between 1997 and 2000, has been arrested in Miami for allegedly working to promote the interests of the Cuban government, it was reported.
Monday, December 4th 2023 - 10:26 UTC
Oil companies' pledge deemed insufficient at COP28

While 50 leading oil companies and more than 100 countries committed at the Conference of Parties (COP28) to reducing their methane emissions and up their energy efficiency, experts and activists claim these measures address the visible effects, but not the root of the problem.
Monday, December 4th 2023 - 10:08 UTC
Venezuelans vote to annex Essequiba Guiana amid poor turnout

Despite a poor turnout, Venezuelan authorities Sunday confirmed 95.93% of 10,554,320 voting Venezuelans replied “aye” in a non-binding referendum to the question of whether or not to annex the Essequiba Guiana, a 160,000 square-kilometer region the country claims as its own but which has been under Guyanan control for over a century.
Monday, December 4th 2023 - 09:50 UTC
Congressman Santos kicked out of US House of Representatives

Republican Congressman George Santos (NY), a compulsive liar who claimed his grandparents fled the Holocaust and allegedly used his campaign funds to pay for X-rated subscriptions, got no third time lucky on Friday when the House of Representatives voted 311-114 to make him only the sixth lawmaker ever to be expelled.
Monday, December 4th 2023 - 08:20 UTC
UK leads action to protect rainforests committing £85 million funding at COP28

The UK announced a multi-million pound package of measures to protect the world’s rainforests, encourage investment in clean energy technologies, and help developing countries cut their carbon emissions.
Monday, December 4th 2023 - 08:03 UTC
Equine encephalomyelitis, Argentina declares sanitary emergency; Uruguay reports first case

Argentina has finally declared a sanitary emergency in all of its territory, following an increase in equine encephalomyelitis, EE, and anticipates “immediate, extraordinary, exceptional measures to contain further outbreaks of the virus disease”.