Stories for April 24th 2007

Tuesday, April 24th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
UK Barclays and ABN Amro agree to largest bank merger

Britain's Barclays bank agreed to merge with Dutch bank ABN Amro in a deal worth 90 billion US dollars, creating one of the world's largest banks with a turnover of 190 billion US dollars.
Tuesday, April 24th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Cuba plans to become oil refined products exporter in 2008

A refurbished oil refinery set to begin production next December could turn Cuba from a net import dependent to an oil refined products exporters, according to the official press in Havana.
Tuesday, April 24th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Bolivia's Morales receives Malvinas soil gift from veterans

Argentine Malvinas veterans visiting La Paz on Monday handed Bolivian president Evo Morales a coffer with Falkland Islands soil and requested support to recover the Islands for Argentina and Latinamerica.
Tuesday, April 24th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
United Nations welcomes New York City “green” initiative

Plans unveiled by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Earth Day to reduce the strain on natural resources such as water, air and land were warmly embraced by officials with the United Nations department that promotes sustainable development.
Tuesday, April 24th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Pulp mills dispute: Brazil praises dialogue resumption

Brazil expressed complacence on Monday at the resumption of dialogue between Argentina and Uruguay regarding the dispute over the construction of a pulp mill by the Finnish company Botnia along a shared river between the two neighboring countries.
Tuesday, April 24th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Boris Yeltsin Moscow funeral announced

The body of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin is to lie in state in Moscow ahead of a funeral on Wednesday
Tuesday, April 24th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Spain proposing Gibraltar tripartite experience for the Falklands

Spain's current ambassador in Argentina Rafael Estrella who is identified as the driving force in the Spanish Government's decision to pursue the Cordoba tripartite dialogue process (*), is urging the Argentine Government to take a similar approach to the Falkland Islands as Spain has to the Rock.
Tuesday, April 24th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Uruguay has the highest fuel prices of the region

Uruguay with no oil or gas reserves has the highest fuel prices in Latinamerica, 1.35 US dollars for a liter of premium gasoline, not distant from those countries with the top values such as Holland where premium at the pump costs 1.91 US dollars a liter.
Tuesday, April 24th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Toyota en route to dethrone GM as world's top automaker

Japan's Toyota sold more vehicles globally in the first quarter of 2007 than General Motors according to preliminary figures the clearest sign yet that the Japanese company is on track to overtake its U.S. rival as the world's top automaker.
Tuesday, April 24th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
US housing market problems persist: March sales down 8.4%

Sales of second hand United States homes fell 8.4% in March, the sharpest month-on-month drop for 18 years according to data from the National Association of Realtors released on Tuesday.