Stories for March 23rd 2009
Princess Anne begins visit to Falkland Islands and South Georgia
Princess Anne and her husband Vice-Admiral Timothy Laurence arrived Monday in the Falklands for a visit to the Islands and South Georgia. She is travelling to the South Atlantic at the invitation of the South Georgia Heritage Trust, SGHT.
Monaco prime property averaged 55.000 Euros per sq. meter in 2008
Monaco has the most expensive prime property in the world, costing an average of 55.000 Euros per square metre in 2008 for the best properties. But the prices for prime properties throughout the world are coming under pressure from the credit crunch, according to the latest Knight Frank Prime International Residential Index.
Positive reaction to US plan to buy one trillion USD in toxic assets
United States announced Monday details of a plan to buy up to one trillion US dollars worth of toxic assets to help repair banks' balance sheets. The “Public-Private Investment Programme” will purchase the troubled mortgages and securities that have been at the root of the credit crunch.
UK auto industry calls for “scarappage scheme”
British Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said that UK motor companies will survive “if they take the right decisions” despite another huge monthly fall in car production. Official figures showed the number of cars made in the UK last month fell 59% compared with February 2008, while commercial vehicle production slumped by 71.6%.
Airlines mishandled 42 million bags in 2007, says consumer watchdog
Airlines mishandled 42 million bags worldwide in 2007 compared to 30 million in 2005 according to the Air Transport Users Council. The consumer watchdog for the airline industry recalled that airlines primary duty to passengers is to put into place systems that will mean they mishandle as few bags as possible.
Galapagos Islands adds a new sponsor: movie star Richard Gere
United States movie star Richard Gere has offered to campaign to save the Galapagos Islands from development and tourism. During a weekend visit to the Islands, Gere, 59, met Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his species, who was greeted by Prince Charles last week.
Charles and climate change: people realize I wasn’t “talking nonsense”
Prince Charles who has been visiting the Amazon and the Galapagos islands said in a interview published on Sunday people now realised he had not been “talking nonsense” during his many years of campaigning for action on environmental issues.
Petrobras guarantees fuel supply ahead of five day strike
Brazil’s government managed oil and gas corporation Petrobras said there is “no chance” a planned strike by its workers beginning Monday will limit the country’s fuel supply.
Cristina/PM Brown’s meeting to discuss Falklands’ impacts UK press
The coming Friday meeting in Chile of Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner with Prime Minister Gordon Brown allegedly to address the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute has had headlines’ impact in Britain.
US to announce Monday plan for purchase of banks’ toxic assets
A key adviser within US President Barack Obama's administration says she is “incredibly confident” the US economy will recover within 12 months. Christina Romer, head of the White House's economic advice council, told Fox TV “we will be seeing signs the economy is turning around”.
