Stories for November 2008

Tuesday, November 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Historic high level talks between Taiwan and Beijing in Taipei

Taiwan and China held their first high-level talks in Taipei in 60 years on Tuesday, with communications, transport and food safety high in the agenda.
Tuesday, November 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Brazil sets legal guidelines for making popular caipirinha

Brazil's government has published legal guidelines for the popular caipirinha, the most common and extended alcoholic drink of the 190 million population country, and which becomes mandatory as of this month.
Tuesday, November 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Colombia faces grave human rights challenges claims UN

Colombia faces grave human rights challenges in its ongoing conflict, including hostage-taking, extrajudicial executions and arbitrary arrest and detention, despite measures taken by the Government to protect vulnerable groups, the United Nations rights chief says after visiting the Andean country.
Tuesday, November 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Spanish civil war descendents can apply for citizenship

Descendants of people who fled Spain during the country's civil war are to be allowed to apply for citizenship. The decision will allow an estimated 500,000 children and grandchildren of civil war-era exiles to seek to return.
Tuesday, November 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Profits down 34% at Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer's half-year profits have fallen by a third after sales suffered in the toughest conditions to hit the retailer since the early 1990s.
Tuesday, November 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Count down for the man who heralds a new era for the US

Millions of Americans will bring in a new era of United States' politics as they cast their votes in the most expensive presidential election in history.
Tuesday, November 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Falklands and Malvinas veterans meet at Gosport

The Mayor of Gosport Councillor Derek Kimber recently received three special visitors to the Parlour, three gentlemen who might, a few years ago, have come very close to crossing paths with the Mayor, but in very different circumstances.
Tuesday, November 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
World Bank official warns on soaring number of poor in 09

The world financial crisis influenced by the high prices of food and fuel will cause global growth to drop 1 to 2%, together “with the emergence of millions of poor, a new underclass”, according to a top official from the World Bank.
Tuesday, November 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Fitch predicts steepest GDP decline in leading countries

In its latest Global Economic Outlook, Fitch Ratings predicts that the world's major advanced economies - US, UK, Euro Zone and Japan - will experience in 2009 the steepest decline in GDP since World War II. In aggregate GDP growth in these countries is expected to be (minus) -0.8% in 2009, compared to an estimated 1.1% for 2008. Tighter credit conditions, consumer retrenchment and falling corporate investment are expected to combine to deliver an unusually synchronised downturn across the advanced economies.
Tuesday, November 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
FT gives high marks to Latinamerica's banking system

Latinamerica's financial system has passed the Financial Times test. In an article under the headline of “Latinamerica sidesteps the worst of crisis”, FT correspondents in Sao Paulo and Mexico City elaborate on the region's banking industry and how “by accident and design” in spite of a long history of turbulence, it is weathering the global crisis.

Maybe because of the relatively small size of the system, but definitively because regulations and close monitoring have helped Latinamerican banks stay away “from all those toxic products” that damaged US banks.