Stories for January 7th 2008
New gas field could increase Bolivia's total production 5%
A new gas field has been found in east Bolivia, which will have a production capacity of 2.4 million-cubic-meter a day by October, Bolivian President Evo Morales announced. The new field, called Tacobo and operated by Argentine Pluspetrol, is located in San Isidro, the Bolivian eastern province of Santa Cruz rich in oil and natural gas reserves.
Bluefin tuna sells for 202 US dollars a kilo in Tokyo market
A Hong Kong sushi restaurant owner paid a record 55.700 US dollars for a massive blue-fin tuna in the first auction of the year at the world's largest fish market in Tokyo, an official and media reports said.
Stone blames Bush for failed release of Colombian hostages
Hollywood director Oliver Stone who was to film the liberation of hostages held by the Colombian cocaine funded guerrilla FARC at the end of December, accused the United States for the failure of the mission and defends the role played by Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez in the frustrated operation.
UK Minister meets opposition from Falklands Councillors on next-of-kin issue
BRITISH Overseas Territories Minister Meg Munn met with opposition from Falkland Islands councillors during her recent visit to the islands when she suggested Argentine next-of-kin might be allowed to visit the Falklands via a charter flight.
Argentina bans fuel exports and calls for pump price rollback
Argentina halted fuel exports and called for a pump price rollback on Monday amid reports of fuel shortages, government news agency Telam reported, citing unidentified government sources.
Venezuela's Mercosur entry stalled in Brazilian Congress
The recent end of the year episode of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez with the Colombian cocaine-funded guerrilla FARC and the failed handover of hostages could further imperil the Brazilian Congress approval of Venezuela's incorporation to Mercosur.
Santiago airport to handle 2.2 million pax this summer
From December 2007 to February 2008 an expected 2.2 million passengers will be passing through Santiago de Chile's Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, reports The Santiago Times. This is a 10% increase over last summer, and 20% of this figure corresponds to first-time travelers, according to airport operations chief Alberto Becerra.
Argentina under Plan Condor had tracking stations in Brazil
The 1976-1983 Argentine dictatorship held information bases in San Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which were meant to “detect people connected to the subversion”, according to a legal prosecution started in Argentina, reported the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper on Sunday.
Falklands' vessel survives beaching on North West Island
Falkland Islands coastal vessel, Tamar, survived unscathed a beaching on Bold Rocks at Keppel Island on North West Falklands on Saturday morning.
Ban Ki-moon: 2008 should be the year of the “bottom billion”
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed Monday that 2008 should be the year of the “bottom billion,” citing the need for renewed determination to address the needs of the poorest of the world's poor who have been left behind by global economic growth.
