Stories for June 17th 2006

Saturday, June 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

Pulp mills dispute: Argentina talks of “political solution”

Argentine Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez said on Friday there “was always an open door” to find a “political solution” to the dispute with Uruguay over the construction of two pulp mills which is currently under consideration at the Hague International Court.

Saturday, June 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

US current account deficit drops 6,5%

The U.S. current account deficit fell 6.5% to 208.7 billion US dollars in the first quarter of this year, the Commerce Department reported Friday. The figure equaled 6.4% of gross domestic product but this is tipped to rise next quarter as oil prices rise.

Saturday, June 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

Japan suffers two defeats in Whaling meeting

Australia and other anti-whaling nations achieved two victories on Friday at the International Whaling Commission's annual general meeting currently underway in the Caribbean island of St. Kitts.

Saturday, June 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

UN warns urgent action needed to protect world oceans

Swift and wide ranging actions are needed to conserve the world's entire marine environment amid fears that humankind's exploitation of the deep seas and open oceans is rapidly passing the point of no return, according to a United Nations-backed report issued Friday that calls for urgent measures to conserve areas where more than 90% of the planet's living biomass lives.

Saturday, June 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

Fuel costs sink Carnival cruises profits

The world's biggest cruise firm has seen profits fall in the second quarter amid rising fuel costs and lower demand for Caribbean cruises.

Saturday, June 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

Fifty years identity secrecy for torturers in Chile

Chile's Supreme Court ruled Friday that authorities can withhold for 50 years the identity of people found to have inflicted torture on political prisoners during the 1973 to 1990 Pinochet regime.

Saturday, June 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

Repsol-YPF privileges Argentina over Bolivia

Repsol-YPF has plans to speed up the investment program in Argentina to help compensate losses in Bolivia, announced Friday the company's CEO Antonio Brufau in Madrid.

Saturday, June 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

Malvinas issue is “out of the freezer” and “on the table”

This week's resolution from the United Nations Decolonisation Committee definitively means that the sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom over the Malvinas Islands has been taken “out of the freezer”.

Saturday, June 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

Royal Honour for Falklands' Champion

One of the Falkland Islands most energetic legislators and champion of Islander resistance to Argentina's territorial claims has received an award in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours.

Saturday, June 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

Argentine victory applauded in Europe

Argentina's 6-0 thrashing of Serbia Montenegro (Friday June 16) was hailed as a footballing exhibition of the highest standard, while the second goal of the game, scored by Esteban Cambiasso, after a passing movement of 24 touches, has been described as probably the greatest ever World Cup goal.