Stories for August 22nd 2007

Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Unrelenting upheaval in President Kirchner's home province

Argentine president Nestor Kirchner faced on Tuesday another political challenge in his own turf, the province of Santa Cruz he ruled for years and where unions and other social groups marched along the capital Rio Gallegos to reject violence and bullying by former local allies of the president, one in particular who last Friday with his vehicle run over seventeen protestors.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Venezuela oil deal gives low income Londoners cheap bus fares

Up to a million people on income support will be eligible for half fares on London's buses under Ken Livingstone's oil deal with Hugo Chávez, Venezuela's president.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Hurricane Dean targets Mexican oilfields in the Bay of Campeche

Dean smashed up the arty resort of Tulum and washed sand off the famous beach at Cancun before crossing the peninsula and heading out into the southern Gulf of Mexico where state oil company Pemex has hundreds of wells and installations.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Barclays borrows from BoE standing lending facility

Barclays was identified as the bank that borrowed £ 314 million (624 million US dollars) from the Bank of England's standing lending facility, the first time the financial instrument has been used since credit conditions deteriorated a month ago.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Suitcase scandal in limelight in spite of Kirchner and Chavez

Argentina's renowned anti-corruption crusader, lawyer Ricardo Monner Sans, urged the prosecution in the so-called suitcase scandal to investigate whether controls that led to the discovery of 800,000 dollars in possession of Venezuelan-US citizen Guido Antonini Wilson in Buenos Aires, also applied to other officials who arrived on the same plane.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Former IMF official recommends labor flexibility in Chile

Anne Krueger, the former number two official in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), recommended greater labor flexibility for Chile's labor market on Monday. The economist also took a hard stance against arguments for an “ethical salary” for Chile's wage owners, a subject of much debate today in Chile.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Chubut joins Oceanic Bio-geographic Information System

The Onboard Observers Programme of the Argentine province of Chubut Fisheries Secretariat (POBCH) will participate in the Oceanic Bio-geographic Information System (OBIS) by supplying periodic marine biodiversity data acquired from fishing results on specific species.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Rubber stamp assembly gives initial approval to Chavez reforms

Venezuela's National Assembly dominated by allies of President Hugo Chavez, gave unanimous initial approval Tuesday to constitutional reforms that would allow him to run for indefinite re-election, creates a popular militia, ends the Central Bank's autonomy and redefines property rights.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Falklands' airbridge upgraded with 12 business class seats

The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence has awarded a new Falkland Islands Airbridge Charter contract effective next October 4, reported FIRS on Wednesday.
Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Greenpeace accuses Brazil of encouraging Amazon deforestation

Brazil's government has promised to investigate allegations that its policy of settling landless communities in the Amazon is encouraging deforestation. Greenpeace has claimed that some of these areas are being exploited by logging companies, after what it says was an eight-month investigation.