Stories for March 23rd 2010
One out of five Spaniards “below the threshold of poverty”
Spain’s economic crisis had devastating effects on the quality of life of the population during 2009. According to a damning survey on living conditions in the country published by the National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas) 13.7% of households in Spain had “great difficulty” in making ends meet at the end of each month.
UK consumer inflation falls to 3% in February
Lower prices of toys and games have contributed to a fall in the UK's headline rate of inflation to 3% - closer to the Bank of England's 2% target. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) fell to 3% in February from 3.5% in January, new figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show.
Chile creates Emergency Jobs Program to counter massive layoffs
With many Chilean companies using the ‘Fuerza Mayor’ clause to terminate contracts with their workers in the wake of the February 27 earthquake, Chile’s government this week announced creation of 13,000 new emergency jobs for the most devastated zones and the creation of special loans for the most damaged companies.
Lula da Silva wants Hamas and Hezbollah in Mid East negotiations table
Brazilian president Lula da Silva said he is willing and available to begin talks with the Palestine Hamas organization, as well as Lebanon’s Hezbollah and even Iran, to reach peace in the Middle East.
Uruguay on the world’s viticulture map with its distinctive Tannat wines
Argentina has its Malbec; Chile has its Carmenere and now Uruguay, not to be out-classed by its more famous wine-producing neighbours, is taking the world of viticulture by storm, with its distinctive Tannat wines.
Hillary Clinton announces US support for Insulza’s OAS re-election
The United States will support Chile’s Jose Miguel Insulza in his bid for another five years as head of the Organization of American States, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday in a letter to the OAS secretary-general.
Falklands’ oil dispute: Argentina presents its case and backgrounds to OAS
Argentina presented before the Organization of American States, OAS, documents on recent British decisions and actions referred to the disputed Falkland Islands and requested they be made public to all members of the OAS General Assembly.
Unsafe water kills more people than war, Ban says on World Day
More people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday, calling for better protection and sustainable management of one of the Earth’s most precious resources on the occasion of World Water Day.
Google is “totally wrong” in stopping filtering Chinese site, warns Beijing
Google Inc. is “totally wrong” in stopping censorship of its Chinese-language search results and blaming China for “alleged hacker attacks,” Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday, citing an unidentified government official.
European Union remains divided over monetary aid to Greece
The president of the European Commission challenged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to rise above domestic politics and agree on a financial safety net for debt-stricken Greece to help preserve European monetary union.
