Stories for December 2023

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”.
Saturday, December 2nd 2023 - 20:46 UTC
Some thoughts on climate change at the start of COP28 in Qatar

By Gwynne Dyer - At the opening of the COP28 global climate summit in Qatar, here are some thoughts about the state of climate science. I have interviewed at least sixty leading climate scientists in a dozen countries over the past three years.
Saturday, December 2nd 2023 - 20:14 UTC
Venezuela ignores UN ICJ ruling and will go ahead with a referendum on Guyana's Esequibo

Venezuela will press on with a weekend referendum over the fate of a vast disputed area in the Esequibo region it claims, disputing neighboring Guyana's jurisdiction, despite the UN International Court of Justice, ICJ, Friday ruling urging restraint in the dispute.
Saturday, December 2nd 2023 - 11:55 UTC
Brazil wants to hand Mercosur chair next week with a raft of milestones

Brazil who is handing the Mercosur rotating chair to Paraguay during a ceremony and regional summit in Rio do Janeiro next 7 December´, is working overtime to finalize important milestones for the trade block during its presidency, among which discussions with UAE, closing a deal with Singapore, making official Bolivia's incorporation and equally outstanding even possibly signing the definitive agreement with the European Union.
Saturday, December 2nd 2023 - 11:38 UTC
Foreign office minister Rutley in Falklands, “Islanders elected to belong to the British Family”

David Rutley, Foreign Office Minister for the Americas, Caribbean and Overseas Territories, is currently in the Falkland Islands where he arrived on Thursday to show UK' determination in upholding the right of self determination for the Islanders and their democratic decision to belong to the British Family.
Saturday, December 2nd 2023 - 11:19 UTC
Spotify exiting Uruguay as of February

The global music and podcast streaming service Spotify Friday warned its Uruguayan users that the platform would be leaving the South American country shortly citing “drastic changes in the way music works” locally and that no new accounts can be opened after Dec. 28, it was reported in Montevideo.
Saturday, December 2nd 2023 - 10:48 UTC
Peru: Lower Court rules against releasing Fujimori

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori will remain incarcerated following Friday's ruling by a lower court in Ica declaring inadmissible a Constitutional Court decision allowing the reinstatement of the pardon once granted by Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Godard (PPK) in 2017.
Saturday, December 2nd 2023 - 10:43 UTC
Mondino insists: Argentina not joining BRICS

Argentina's future Foreign Minister Diana Mondino confirmed this week that her country would not be joining the BRICS alliance on Jan. 1 as scheduled despite a personal letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping to President-elect Javier Milei.