Stories for December 2008

Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Total Irish pork-products recall because of dioxins

A total pork-product recall from Ireland has been implemented after slaughterhouse tests confirmed high levels of a cancer-causing toxin in meat. The substance has come from contaminated feed and is a big blow to Ireland's domestic and export pig industry.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
MP Green office raid: Commons Speaker increasingly exposed

Britain's Commons Speaker Michael Martin is looking increasingly exposed amid deepening dismay among MPs over his failure to stop the police raid on the Westminster office of Tory frontbencher Damian Green.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
EU Human Rights Court ruling limits British DNA database

Nearly a million innocent British citizens could have their records removed from the national DNA database after a court ruled holding them breached their human rights. The European Court of Human Rights severely criticised police powers to take and hold samples from suspects even if they are released or cleared.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Labour MPs more rebellious under Brown than with Blair

British Labour MPs rebelled on more occasions during Gordon Brown's first full parliamentary session as Prime Minister than during the whole of Tony Blair's first four-year term in office, a new report has shown.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
November deflation in Chile, first time in 26 months

With fuel costs plunging Chile had in November its first month of deflation in 26 months with prices falling 0.1%, according to the latest release from the National Statistics Institute. The consumer prices index of October had been 0.9%.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Central American countries prepare to meet world recession

Central American presidents meeting in the Honduras agreed to seek regional integration as the way to unite against the world economic crisis and move towards a common currency. The 33rd Summit of the Central American Integration System, or SICA, which ended over the weekend also included a statement containing a package of urgent measures needed to meet the world crisis.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Guatemala and Belize agree to take border dispute to The Hague

Guatemala and Belize signed an agreement on Monday to have their century long territorial dispute settled by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, following a referendum on both countries supporting the ICJ initiative.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
EU agrees on need to invest on digital infrastructure

British PM Gordon Brown said more investment is needed in technology and environmentally friendly industries in an effort to tackle the downturn. Brown held Downing Street talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Jose Manuel Barroso, head of the European Commission.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
MP Green office raid: Commons accuses ministers of contempt

British Ministers were accused of treating the House of Commons with contempt as they sought to delay an inquiry into a police raid of an MP's parliamentary office, reports the London press.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
World markets soar on Obama's infrastructure plan

United States shares echoed gains in stock markets worldwide on hopes that new stimulus plans in the US and other countries will revive global economic growth. The benchmark Dow Jones index on Monday was up 298 points or 3.5% in afternoon trading in New York, shrugging off Friday's grim unemployment numbers.