Stories for February 2008

Monday, February 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Subprime blues: Qatar sovereign fund buys into Credit Suisse

The Qatar Investment Authority purchases shares from Credit Suisse and is planning to invest up to 15 billion US dollars in European and US banks in the next twelve months, announced Monday Qatar Prime Minister according to Bloomberg News.
Monday, February 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Far East steelmakers agree to pay 65% more for iron ore

Japanese and South Korean steel mills have agreed to pay Brazilian miner Vale do Rio Doce 65% more for iron ore this year. Japan's Nippon Steel and South Korea's Posco said they would pay Vale 78.90 US dollars a ton from April.
Sunday, February 17th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Petrobras orders high seas oil platform costing 1.2 billion

Brazil's government managed oil corporation Petrobras signed on Friday a contract with Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) to build a high seas oil rig to operate at a water depth of 1.246 and which will cost in the range of 1.2 billion US dollars and be delivered in three years time.
Sunday, February 17th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Soy displaces cattle as main farm activity in Argentina

Soy beans has become the main commodity of Argentina's rich farmland displacing other traditional industries such as cattle breeding and dairy farming, according to studies and statistics from the country's main breeders organization the Rural Society.
Sunday, February 17th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Global warming could return predators to Antarctic waters

Marine life in Antarctica will be at risk from an invasion of sharks, crabs and other predators if global warming continues, scientists warn. Crabs are poised to return to the Antarctic shallows, threatening creatures such as giant sea spiders and floppy ribbon worms, says a UK-US team.
Sunday, February 17th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Venezuela helped by Uruguay plans Antarctic base

Venezuelan scientists and military officers set out Friday on their country's first expedition to Antarctica, leaving Friday from Uruguay's capital Montevideo aboard the Uruguayan naval research ship “Oyarbide”.
Saturday, February 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Petrobras & Pemex consider deepwater G. of Mexico project

Brazil's government owned oil and gas corporation Petrobras has invited Mexico's oil monopoly Pemex to join it as a minority partner in a deepwater exploration project on the US side of the Gulf of Mexico revealed Samir Awad Petrobras executive manager for the Americas, Africa and Eurasia.
Saturday, February 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Identity theft, main US consumer fraud for 7 years running

Identity theft for the seventh year in a row topped in 2007 the list of consumer fraud complaints recorded by the United States Federal Trade Commission, FTC. The list contained in the publication “Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft Complaint Data January-December 2007,” showed that of 813,899 total complaints received in 2007, 258,427, or 32% were related to identity theft.
Friday, February 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Feb 21 part of YPF shares back under Argentine control

Spain's Repsol YPF announced Thursday that the sale of 14.9% of its affiliate in Argentina to that country's businessman Enrique Eskenazi will become effective next February 21.
Friday, February 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Fed admits outlook for US economy “has worsened”

United States Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke told Congress on Thursday that the US economic outlook had deteriorated but pointed out that the Fed will “act in a timely manner”.