Stories for August 2009

Friday, August 7th 2009 - 11:45 UTC
Senate confirms first Hispanic woman to serve on the US Supreme Court

The United States Senate confirmed Sonia Sotomayor as the third woman and first Hispanic to serve on the US Supreme Court, a major victory for President Barack Obama. The Thursday vote by a margin of 68 to 31 was hailed as “a wonderful day for America” by President Barack Obama.
Friday, August 7th 2009 - 11:41 UTC
Jobs outlook in China remains “very grave” warn officials

China's job outlook remains “very grave” and could deteriorate further, a senior official has said. The government is under “enormous pressure” to create jobs, said Wang Yadong at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security
Friday, August 7th 2009 - 11:34 UTC
German icon of auto industry sees few signs of lasting recovery

Germanys’ carmaker BMW has said it sees few signs of a lasting economic recovery after it reported profits down by three-quarters for the April to June period. Net profit was 121 million Euros, down 76% from a year ago, with car sales down by nearly a fifth.
Friday, August 7th 2009 - 11:32 UTC
Chilean “tsunami” at wine contest in Santiago

Chilean winemakers nearly swept an international wine contest in July, winning all but a few accolades at the event. The contest, Vinalies Cata d’or América Latina 2009, was held at the Hyatt Hotel in Santiago The competition, put on by Italy, Spain and Portugal, as well as Brazil, Uruguay and Bolivia.
Friday, August 7th 2009 - 07:19 UTC
US financial support for Brazil to develop massive offshore pre-salt oil deposits

United States is prepared to provide up to 10 billion US dollars in loans to finance the development of massive hydrocarbon reserves off Brazil’s coast, revealed Brazil’s Planning Minister Paulo Bernardo da Silva.
Friday, August 7th 2009 - 07:05 UTC
Chavez claims US forces in Colombia are a step toward war

US plans to deploy extra forces at seven Colombian bases could be a step toward war in South America claimed Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez who called on US President Barack Obama not to increase US presence in Colombia.
Friday, August 7th 2009 - 07:02 UTC
ECB says recession is “bottoming out” and predicts positive growth in 2010

The European Central Bank (ECB) has said on Thursday it expects to see growth returning to the global economy next year as it kept interest rates on hold at 1%. However economic activity is likely to remain weak this year.
Friday, August 7th 2009 - 07:00 UTC
Petrobras begins operations in Chile and targets 20% of fuels’ market

Brazilian government controlled Petrobras entered the Chilean fuel distribution market in Chile with the inauguration Tuesday of a service station in Santiago. The company paid 400 million US dollars for US-based Exxon-Mobil’s stake in Esso Chile Petrolera and other units in the Andean nation and has targeted a 20% share of the market.
Friday, August 7th 2009 - 03:38 UTC
Bank of England pumps an additional £ 50 billion to the economy

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee decided on Thursday to maintain the official bank rate paid on commercial bank reserves at 0.5% and voted to boost the money supply with an additional £ 50 billion to £ 175 billion to aid the flagging UK economy. The announced program is expected to take another three months to be completed.
Friday, August 7th 2009 - 03:36 UTC
Great Train Robber Biggs released on “compassionate grounds”

Britain’s Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs was granted on Thursday release from his prison sentence on compassionate grounds. Justice Secretary Jack Straw said the decision was based on medical evidence that Biggs's condition had deteriorated and he was not expected to recover.