Stories for January 29th 2008
Bush admits US economy slowdown and “uncertainty”
United States President George W Bush urged his fellow citizens on Monday to have confidence in their economy in the long-term as he gave his seventh and final State of the Union address in Capitol Hill.
London summit to address banking and financial turmoil
Leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy plus the European Commission meet in London Tuesday to discuss how to respond to recent turmoil on global financial markets and greater calls for banking transparency.
Falklands' Stanley Growers experience repeated in P. Natales
Two young Chilean agronomists, one of them having worked in Falkland Islands Stanley Growers, are setting up a similar hydroponics business in Puerto Natales with the purpose of providing fresh vegetables to Punta Arenas and in the near future to the cruise industry.
2.5 million UK households are “working wealthy”
Almost 10% percent of the United Kingdom population can be regarded as wealthy, according to the 2008 Wealth Review of insurer Hiscox Ltd. This translated into 2.5 million households, Hiscox said.
Amid energy disarray China anticipates a “most difficult year”
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao warned over the weekend that 2008 will be a “most difficult year” for the country's economy as a result of global uncertainty and domestic problems, reported on Monday China's Broadcasting Corporation.
Speculation over Fed rate cuts spurs Wall Street and Latam
Shares in Wall Street gained ground at last moment trading on expectations of further interest rates cuts this week when the Federal Reserve meets on Wednesday to consider steps to help prop the US economy.
Brazilian corporation targeting major global acquisition
Xstrata Plc, the world's fourth- largest copper producer, rose to a three-week high in London trading after newspaper reports that Brazil's Cia. Vale do Rio Doce may agree to buy the company within the next few days.
Argentine oil regions also interested in a share of YPF
The Spanish oil corporation Repsol SA could sell a 5 to 10% of its Argentine unit YPF to four local provinces, Madrid's El Mundo reported, citing unnamed sources close to negotiations between Repsol chairman Antoni Brufau and governor of the Chubut province Mario Das Neves.
Japan's Coast Guard protection for south sea whaling fleet
Japan's coast guard said Tuesday it has sent a team of officers to protect its whaling fleet against intensifying protests by environmentalists. The whalers have repeatedly clashed with environmentalists in Antarctic waters and halted the hunt two weeks ago.
Record visitors to Torres del Paine park in south Chile
Visitors to Chile's world famous Torres del Paine national park in Patagonia reached a new record in 2007 and in the current summer season an average of over a thousand tourists cross the park's checkpoints daily.
