Stories for December 2008

Thursday, December 11th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Tentative agreement for second EU Ireland referendum

The way could be cleared for Ireland to hold a second referendum on the European Union's Lisbon Treaty by October 2009, a draft statement by EU leaders said Thursday.

The statement grants several major concessions to Dublin in an effort to convince Irish voters of the merits of adopting the reforming treaty, which attempts to streamline decision-making within the 27-member bloc.
Thursday, December 11th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Bones remains found in Argentine former detention centre

More than 10,000 bone fragments have been unearthed at a secret Argentine detention centre in the city of La Plata where political dissidents allegedly were held and tortured during Argentina's dictatorship, 1976/1983.
Thursday, December 11th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Argentine Lower House approves tax moratorium

The Lower House of Argentina approved early Thursday a controversial bill that would establish a moratorium on unpaid taxes and give tax opportunities to Argentines who repatriate money and assets held overseas.
Thursday, December 11th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
LAN reported traffic increase of 9.9% during November

LAN Chile and related companies, one of the leading airline groups in Latin America reported a passenger traffic increase of 9.9% in November, according to preliminary monthly traffic statistics and punctuality indicators.
Thursday, December 11th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Brazil launches tax-cut and credit stimulus plan

Brazil's government will cut taxes by 8.4 billion Real (approximately 3.6 billion USD) to prop the slowing economy and meet a 4% growth target in 2009 next year, Finance Minister Guido Mantega and Central Bank president Henrique Meirelles announced Thursday in Brasilia.
Thursday, December 11th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Brazil demands leadership from Obama on trade

Brazil said on Thursday that global trade talks need a strong signal from US President-elect Barack Obama to save them from failure. Brazilian Minister Celso Amorim made the announcement after meeting with World Trade Organization Director General Pascal Lamy in Geneva.
Thursday, December 11th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Bribes and business: Russia and China set the pace

Companies from emerging economies such as Russia and China are more likely to pay bribes when doing business in other countries, a survey claims.
Thursday, December 11th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Rio Tinto slashing drastically jobs and capital spending

The world's third-largest mining firm Rio Tinto is eliminating 14.000 jobs and cutting investment drastically as part of plans to reduce debt by 10 billion USD by the end of next year.
Wednesday, December 10th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Congo and rebels enter UN backed talks to end fighting

United Nations-backed talks between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a main rebel militia kicked off Tuesday, in a bid to end the upsurge in the fighting which has uprooted an additional 250,000 people in country's far east.
Wednesday, December 10th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
UN: Sixty years on Human Rights still not a reality for all

The promises enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) remain unfilled for tens of millions of people worldwide, the top United Nations human rights official said on the eve of the December 10th landmark document's 60th anniversary.