Stories for October 2009

Friday, October 30th 2009 - 00:43 UTC
Technically recession is over in the US, but even Obama was cautious

The United States economy grew at an annual pace of 3.5% between July and September, its first expansion in more than a year. The growth was helped by a substantial government spending plan, including a scrappage scheme to boost car sales.
Friday, October 30th 2009 - 00:39 UTC
Strong calls for banning Atlantic bluefin tuna trade

Banning trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna is justified by the extent of their decline, an analysis by scientists advising fisheries regulators suggests. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas' (ICCAT) advisers said stocks are probably less than 15% of their original size.
Thursday, October 29th 2009 - 13:31 UTC
Argentina/Chile seal “historic” integration and cooperation agreement

Argentina and Chile will sign Friday an integration and cooperation agreement which is an update of the Peace and Friendship treaty of 1984 which paved the way for a close relation and dependency between the neighbouring countries that only a few years before had been on the verge of war.
Thursday, October 29th 2009 - 10:16 UTC
UK petrol prices at their highest level of the year

Petrol prices in the United Kingdom are now at their highest level of the year, according to the AA. Average UK prices at the pumps are now 107.14p a litre - beating the previous 2009 high of 107.03p a litre on September 9.
Thursday, October 29th 2009 - 10:11 UTC
Brazilian Senate ready to approve Venezuela’s inclusion in Mercosur

Strong lobbying from business interests in Brazil and Venezuela apparently will have tipped the balance and open the way for the Brazilian Congress to include Venezuela in South America’s largest trade block, Mercosur when it takes a vote on Thursday.
Thursday, October 29th 2009 - 10:08 UTC
Norway first in Europe to raise interest rates

Norway has become the first European country to raise its interest rates since the beginning of the global financial crisis. The country's central bank raised the cost of borrowing to 1.5% from 1.25% in a widely-expected move.
Thursday, October 29th 2009 - 10:01 UTC
Chile fish and shellfish landings fall almost 10% in nine months of 2009

Total fish and shellfish landings through September in Chile totalled 3.6 million tons –9.8% less than the 3.9 million tons accumulated in the same period of 2008, the Fisheries Under-Secretariat (SUBPESCA) revealed.
Thursday, October 29th 2009 - 09:50 UTC
Brazilian government lowers tax to benefit consumers and farmers

Brazil’s main meat processor JBS praised the government for lowering a local tax that will ultimately benefit consumers and farmers. JBS is also in the process of becoming the world’ leader in animal protein food by taking over US chicken producer Pilgrim’s Pride and merging with Brazil’s Bertin SA.
Thursday, October 29th 2009 - 08:16 UTC
World health leader impressed by Castro and Cuban medical facilities

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro “looks wonderful,” World Health Organization director general Margaret Chan said on Wednesday, after meeting the 83-year-old leader who resigned the presidency last year due to ailing health.
Thursday, October 29th 2009 - 07:36 UTC
Majority of Hondurans want presidential election to go ahead to end crisis

A majority of Hondurans support the proposal that both ousted President Manuel Zelaya and the head of the de facto government Roberto Micheletti should step down in favour of a caretaker president, thus keeping to the political calendar which schedules presidential elections for November 29th.