Stories for January 16th 2008
HMS Endurance breaks ice North of James Ross Island
HMS ENDURANCE breaking through the ice North of James Ross Island, the ship is currently transferring scientist to Mount Haddington where they will be carrying out ice drilling for the next 2 months.
Chile fragile energy situation and new dams controversy
Ed. Note: This opinion piece, which first appeared in the Chilean daily La Tercera, gives the background to Chile's looming energy problems and then proceeds to pitch the line that is touted by Chile's media and business establishment: “build dams in Chile's water-rich Patagonia area to solve the energy problem; build the HidroAysen project.” 'HidroAysen' is joint venture involving Spanish-Italian electricity giant Endesa and Chilean energy company Colbún.
OPEC: no oil shortage; investors abandoning US dollar
OPEC is ready to increase its output if the fundamentals of supply and demand justify such a move, but does not believe there is a current shortage of oil in the market, the cartel's secretary-general Abdallah el-Badri said on Wednesday.
Brazil extends one billion US dollars credit to Cuba
Cuban leader Fidel Castro is lucid and healthy enough to resume a political role in Cuba, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday at the end of a 24 hours visit to the island during which ten bilateral agreements were signed.
Fossilized skull of largest rodent found in Uruguay
The fossilized skull of the largest rodent ever recorded has been described by scientists for the first time. The remains of the one-ton beast, found in Uruguay, indicate that it would have been as big as a bull.
Three more bull market years for farm commodities
Agricultural commodity prices will advance for at least three more years, bolstered by demand that's expanding faster than supply, according to a report by Jeffrey Currie from Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s.
Toxic algae forces Uruguay to ban mollusk consumption
Uruguay's Aquatic Resources Directorate (DINARA) on Tuesday extended for another ten days the ban on extraction, trade and transport of bivalve mollusks (mussels, cockles and clams) as the red tide continues to expand along the country's Atlantic coastline.
Energy and food push US inflation to highest in 17 years
Inflation in United States for all of 2007 hit the highest rate for 17 years as surging energy and food costs pushed up prices according to the US Labor Department latest release.
Salmon disease and risky krill fishery, investors' nightmare
The Norwegian born shipping and salmon farming magnate, now living in Cyprus, Kjell Inge Røkke, not only has recorded heavy losses on his large share in the world's largest salmon farming company, Marine Harvest ASA.
Aussie forfeited rogue longliner Viarsa broken up in India
Famed, controversial fishing vessel Viarsa was dismantled in a Mumbai, India ship breaking yard last December, Australian authorities confirmed this week. The Uruguayan-flagged, 65-metre longliner had played a singular role as the subject of the longest pursuit in Australian maritime history.
