Stories for March 2008

Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
France increasingly involved in release of Colombian hostages

Colombia thanked France for having displayed on stand by a medical evacuation aircraft to receive, in case she's released, ailing French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt kidnapped by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces, FARC over six years ago.
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Muslims outnumber Catholics worldwide reveals Vatican

Islam has overtaken Roman Catholicism as the biggest single religious denomination in the world, the Vatican said on Sunday. Monsignor Vittorio Formenti, who compiled the Vatican's newly-released 2008 yearbook of statistics, said Muslims made up 19.2% of the world's population and Catholics 17.4%.
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Mrs. Kirchner forced to cancel meeting with PM Brown

Argentina's president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner cancelled her coming trip to Great Britain because of the worsening of the farmers' 17 days conflict. Mrs. Kirchner was expecting to talk about Argentina's Falklands' claims in London.
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
UN climate change talks kick off in Bangkok

A fresh round of United Nations-sponsored climate change talks, expected to draw 1,000 participants, will kick off next week in Bangkok, Thailand.
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
CFK Malvinas Day message next Wednesday

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will head next Wednesday April 2, --the 26th anniversary of the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands--, the main ceremony of the Veterans and Fallen in the Malvinas War Day.
Saturday, March 29th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
No Progress in Argentine Farm Talks

Argentine farmers announced a temporary truce in a 16-day strike on Friday, but marathon talks with the government failed to yield an immediate agreement over disputed export tax hikes.
Saturday, March 29th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Brazil announces new oil reserves

A huge offshore oil discovery could raise Brazil's petroleum reserves by a whopping 40 percent and boost this country into the ranks of the world's major exporters, officials said.
Saturday, March 29th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Chile: German tank trainers attacked

Five youths are accused of attacking nine German soldiers and taking them hostage in this Chilean port city, police said.
Friday, March 28th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Opportunity for EU Mercosur discussions “building positively”

Mercosur and the European Union have scheduled several facilitating meetings previous to the Lima summit next May which should help re-launch the stalled negotiations for a cooperation and association agreement.
Friday, March 28th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
First steps to defuse Argentine gov. farmers' conflict

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner called on farm leaders to a “serious” dialogue, but cautioned that the more than two weeks long strike must be previously lifted.