Stories for August 31st 2005
US Census shows 37 million living in poverty
The United States poverty rate rose to 12.7% of the population last year, the fourth consecutive annual increase, reported the US Census Bureau Tuesday. Overall there are 37 million people living in poverty, up 1,1 million from 2003.
Saudi Arabia ready to pump 11 million bpd
Saudi Arabia announced Tuesday it was ready to increase crude production to eleven million bpd in case the consequences of the “Katrina” hurricane cause a shortage in the market, said Saudi Oil minister Ali al-Nuami.
Record spring ozone layer hole forecasted
The ozone layer hole over the Antarctica began expanding in mid August and has reached ten million square kilometres, an area equivalent to Europe, according to readings from the Envisat satellite belonging to the European Space Agency.
The Brazilian Navy's atomic bomb ambition
An atomic bomb as powerful as those dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was almost built in Brazil at the beginning of the nineties under the supervision of the Brazilian armed forces.
Flexibility, the US economy “most valued asset”
The US economy has weathered reasonably well the steep rise in spot and future prices for crude oil and natural gas in the last two years said Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan who also highlighted “flexibility” as the economy's “most valued asset”.
Brazil: lack of reforms greater threat than political crisis
Economists downplayed the impact of the Brazilian political crisis on the economy but warned that crucial reforms are being delayed as Congress concentrates in the corruption allegations.
“I did everything possible to make Argentina loose Malvinas war”
”I did everything possible to make Argentina loose the (Malvinas) war”, is the spectacular introduction to a Chilean television program to be aired Wednesday night with a very special guest, General Fernando Matthei, former Commander of the Chilean Air Force and responsible for the secret coordination with the British in 1982.
