Stories for December 2006

Friday, December 29th 2006 - 20:00 UTC
British woman makes polar history in Antarctica

British adventurer Hannah McKeand, 33, made polar history on Thursday when she became the fastest person ever to reach the Geographic South Pole solo and unsupported.
Friday, December 29th 2006 - 20:00 UTC
Petrobras declares 19 new areas as “commercially viable”

Brazil's government owned oil corporation Petrobras declared as Commercially Viable 19 new areas (16 offshore and 3 onshore) in the Espírito Santo, Campos, and Santos Basins. A few of them have become new oil and/or natural gas fields, while others have been incorporated into existing neighboring fields.
Friday, December 29th 2006 - 20:00 UTC
Argentine clue witness in human rights trial reappears

Minutes after Argentine President Nestor Kirchner ended a national address saying he will not be blackmailed by paramilitary groups that allegedly have kidnapped clue witnesses in human rights trials, one of them appeared safe and sound.
Friday, December 29th 2006 - 20:00 UTC
Huge ice shelf adrift in the Arctic, reports Canada

An ice island the size of a small city is adrift in the Arctic after breaking free from one of Canada's largest ice shelves, reported on Friday Canadian scientists.
Thursday, December 28th 2006 - 20:00 UTC
Shell declares field off shore Santos, commercially viable

Royal Dutch Shell PLC announced Thursday it declared the Brazilian offshore BS-4 field in the Santos basin off the Rio do Janeiro coast, commercially viable.
Thursday, December 28th 2006 - 20:00 UTC
Seven women in Ecuador's incoming cabinet

Ecuadorian President-elect Rafael Correa appointed this week seven women to his Cabinet, including the country's first female Defence minister, saying he wanted to promote gender equality.
Thursday, December 28th 2006 - 20:00 UTC
Argentine banks must return 2001/02 frozen deposits

Five years later and in a long-awaited ruling, the Argentine Supreme Court ordered local banks to reimburse in full their customers savings that were frozen during the economic crisis of 2001/02, when Argentina also defaulted on its foreign debt.
Thursday, December 28th 2006 - 20:00 UTC
Euro becomes the world's favourite currency

The US dollar bill's standing as the world's favourite form of cash is being pushed aside by the five-year-old euro with the value of Euro notes in circulation totaling 614 billion compared to the equivalent 588 billion Euros in greenbacks.
Thursday, December 28th 2006 - 20:00 UTC
ENAP investment plan 2007/11 totals 4.5 billion

Chile's government oil corporation ENAP announced this week investments totaling 4.5 billion US dollars in the coming four years, 2007/2011, emphasizing exploration and production and the construction of refineries.
Thursday, December 28th 2006 - 20:00 UTC
Chile expects 640.000 foreign tourists in high season

Tourist activity in Chile expanded 11.5% during 2006 and is forecasted to grow an additional 14% this coming summer season (January, February) according to the National Tourism Office, Senatur.