Stories for August 2008

Sunday, August 31st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
New Orleans Mayor Orders Evacuation as Gustav Reaches Gulf

The mayor of New Orleans has issued a mandatory evacuation order for the entire city, as Hurricane Gustav bears down on the US Gulf Coast.
Sunday, August 31st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Darling backtracks on claim that economic crisis is worst for 60 years

Alistair Darling took to the airwaves to “clarify” his comments in a newspaper interview, saying that he was referring to global economic conditions rather than those in Britain.
Sunday, August 31st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Thousands of Mexicans protest killings

Thousands of Mexicans marched inthe capital on Saturday to protest against a wave ofkidnappings and gruesome murders, putting pressure on PresidentFelipe Calderon to meet his promises to crack down on crime.
Sunday, August 31st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Buenos Aires City, more expensive for foreigners

Due to the inflation, estimated between 10 and 20 percent and to the drop in the dollar's value, Buenos Aires City is more expensive than last year, but it still ranks among the cheapest cities in the world for foreigners, according to a international survey on the cost of life carried out by Mercer pollsters.
Sunday, August 31st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Chile Bank Voted Unanimously to Raise Rate to 7.75%

Chile's central bank policy makers voted unanimously to increase interest rates at their last meeting by half a percentage point for the third straight month.
Sunday, August 31st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Falkland Islands: New RIC get straight to work

THE new Roulement Infantry Company (RIC) in the Falklands is B Company of 3rd Battalion the Rifles, based in Edinburgh and partof 11 Light Brigade. The Commanding Officer, Major James Richardson, has a close personal affiliation with the Falkland Islands.
Sunday, August 31st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Brazil: Ancient Amazon Actually Highly Urbanized

Using satellite imagery, scientists have discovered the remains of once densely populated towns in west Brazil, an area that was thought to be virgin forest.
Sunday, August 31st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Argentine citizen crosses environmentalists'' roadblock

Salvador Rosetti Serra, a 79-year-old retired lawyer, yesterday became the first Argentine citizen in almost two years to cross to Fray Bentos, Uruguay, through the roadblock being held by environmental activists on international Route 136, in Entre Ríos. He presented a ruling issued by Federal Judge María José Sarmiento, ordering the demonstrators to let him pass.
Saturday, August 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Japan unveils ambitious stimulus plan and tax breaks

The Japanese government unveiled on Friday a policy package worth about 107 billion US dollars in an effort to stimulate the country's faltering economy by easing the negative impact from rising energy and raw material costs.
Saturday, August 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Manchester Hallé Orchestra celebrates 150 years in Mercosur

The Hallé Orchestra from Manchester is celebrating a great landmark in its history – its 150th anniversary and for the commemoration has scheduled a four country visit to South America in September which includes Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. The orchestra was last in South America in 1992.