Stories for March 2008

Wednesday, March 26th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
UK: Commons to get vote over war plans

The Prime Minister will in future normally be required to obtain the approval of the House of Commons before sending British forces to war, under plans set out by the Government.
Wednesday, March 26th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Chile to spend millions removing borders' landmines

Chile will spend nine million dollars this year to remove thousands of land mines planted along the Argentine, Bolivian and Peruvian borders during a territorial dispute in the late 1970s, according to a report published this week.
Wednesday, March 26th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Gigantic ice shelf breaking away 1.000 miles from S. America

A chunk of ice the size of the Isle of Man and bigger that the US state of Connecticut has started to break away from Antarctica in what scientists say is further evidence of a warming climate.
Wednesday, March 26th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Venezuela will help Mercosur become continental block

Mercosur with Venezuela included has “the potential of becoming a trade block of the whole of South America” said Brazilian Foreign Affairs minister Ceslo Amorim who also insisted that keeping out of the Washington inspired Free Trade Area of the Americas, FTAA, “has been positive”.
Wednesday, March 26th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Brazil, Spain's main destination of net investment in 2007

Brazil became in 2007 Spain's second most important trade partner in the region (behind Mexico) and the main destination for Spanish net investments, according to official figures released this week in Madrid.
Wednesday, March 26th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Trichet calls for bank transparency and infers no rate cuts

The European Central Bank president Jean Claude Trichet anticipated “high inflation for a relatively longer period” than originally expected and defined growth outlook for the European Union a “unusually uncertain”.
Wednesday, March 26th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Australia considering new anti illegal fishing legislation

New legislation granting the Canberra government more power to crack down on illegal fishing was introduced to the Australian parliament last week by Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke.
Wednesday, March 26th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Argentine woman swims across Falkland's sound

An Argentine woman, 39, who lost a leg as a child, but has a long experience in open spaces swimming, last week successfully crossed the Falkland Islands' sound.
Wednesday, March 26th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Sao Paulo's “Nova Bolsa”, becomes world's third largest

The merger of the Brazilian Bolsa de Valores de Sao Paulo and the futures Bolsa de Mercaderias & Futuros-BM&F SA confirmed the creation of the world's third-biggest publicly traded securities exchange and the largest in Latin America.
Wednesday, March 26th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Rice prices become a ticking time bomb for Asian countries

The spiral in rice world prices has become an extraordinary source of revenue for exporters Thailand and Vietnam but for the rest of Asian countries is a ticking time bomb that could lead to social chaos. Rice is the staple food for hundreds of millions in Asia and the Pacific basin.