Stories for June 27th 2011
Federal Reserve will remain biggest buyer of US Treasury bills
The Federal Reserve will remain the biggest buyer of Treasuries, even after the second round of quantitative easing ends this week, as the central bank uses its 2.86 trillion US dollars balance sheet to keep interest rates low.
UK committed to Falklands in spite of all the “huff and puff” from Argentine politicians
The UK remains committed to retaining sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the face of renewed Argentine pressure over the issue, and has the political will and military means to defend the Islands, Defence Secretary Liam Fox said.
Bus sized asteroid to zoom over the Falklands’ at 7.600 miles in space
An asteroid the size of a bus and massing 600 tons is barreling through space toward planet Earth at terrific speed and is scheduled to zoom across the South Atlantic and the Falkland Islanders late Monday, reports Space magazine.
US consumer spending flat in May reflecting a fall in auto sales
Consumer spending in the United States was unchanged in May for the first time in almost a year, likely reflecting a plunge in auto sales, according to a US government report, that also showed a build-up in underlying inflation pressures.
More than 50.000 people joined Gay Pride Parade in downtown Santiago de Chile
With drag queens stomping in their stilettos and adults, teens and children waving rainbow flags, more than 50,000 people paraded through Santiago de Chile on Saturday in support of gay rights in the annual March for Sexual Diversity.
International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Libyan leader Gaddafi
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and rebels trying to oust him said their forces had advanced to within 80 km of the capital Tripoli.
Falklands, South Georgia success in minimizing long-line fishing seabird bycatch
A study has revealed that at least 160,000 and potentially in excess of 320,000 seabirds are killed annually in longline fisheries globally. Some previous studies have assessed the level of seabird by catching longline fisheries for particular regions and groups of seabirds, but this is the first study to provide a global estimate of by-catch of all seabirds in longline fisheries.
FAO elected-chief anticipates high and volatile food prices for several years
The newly elected chief of the United Nations food agency, FAO, anticipated on Monday high and volatile food prices will persist for several years. Brazil's Jose Graziano da Silva was elected on Sunday to replace Senegal's Jacques Diouf.
Reports of puma attacks on sheep multiplying in Chile
Desperate and decimating. That’s how biologist Agustín Iriarte describes the attitude of livestock farmers and their dwindling number of livestock, as predators take their toll. Chile’s pumas are attacking and killing sheep flocks more than ever.
Chinese local governments have piled a debt equivalent to 1.4 trillion USD
Fresh evidence shows that Chinese local governments commit the same sins as their counterparts in South America and even Spain, where most provinces, states and regional autonomies traditionally pile billions of dollars in debt that following some political arrangement are finally bailed out by the central government.
