Stories for February 2011

Thursday, February 3rd 2011 - 23:02 UTC
Falklands’ “Ocean Guardian” oil rig operational capabilities upgraded

Oilfield equipment specialist Titan Torque Services has secured a six-figure contract to provide support services for exploration work off the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. The company signed a one-year deal with well management company AGR Petroleum Services to provide torquing facilities in support drilling rig “Ocean Guardian” operations.
Thursday, February 3rd 2011 - 22:55 UTC
Polar Star passengers disembarked in King George Island

Polar Star Expeditions reported that following an underwater inspection of the MV Polar Star’s outer hull, it has decided to disembark the ship’s 80 passengers at King George Island in the South Shetland Islands as a precautionary measure before crossing the Drake Passage and returning to Ushuaia, Argentina.
Thursday, February 3rd 2011 - 22:53 UTC
Copper hits a record price of 10.000 US dollars per ton and could keep soaring

Copper hit a record price of 10,000 USD per ton on Thursday on the back of growing worldwide economic optimism and concerns about the impact of an Australian cyclone on stretched global supplies.
Thursday, February 3rd 2011 - 22:17 UTC
Brazil to provide free medicines for high blood pressure and diabetes

Brazil is to provide free medicines for everyone suffering from high blood pressure or diabetes. The drugs will be distributed as of next month through a nationwide network of budget pharmacies, where many medicines are already heavily subsidised.
Thursday, February 3rd 2011 - 22:05 UTC
Vodafone forced to send pro-Mubarak mobile-phone text messages

UK’s Vodafone was ordered to send mobile-phone text messages by the Egyptian government, urging people to confront “traitors and criminals” as demonstrators demanded the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.
Thursday, February 3rd 2011 - 22:02 UTC
UN forecasts period of “food volatility and supply disruptions”

The world is going into a period of food volatility and supply disruptions due in part to weather related problems and a backdrop of rising prices, the UN World Food Program's executive director said.
Thursday, February 3rd 2011 - 21:56 UTC
Santander, Euro zone largest bank helped by solid results in UK and Brazil

The collapse of the Spanish property prices helped pull annual profit down 8.5% at the Euro zone largest bank Santander. Solid results from Brazil and Britain, which each account for more profit than Spain at the diversified bank, failed to calm fears about exposure to a stagnant domestic economy, struggling to shake off the worst recession in half a century.
Thursday, February 3rd 2011 - 21:54 UTC
Brazilian industry loosing world market share to main trading partner, China

Competition with top trading partner China is costing Brazilian industry valuable market share, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) in South America's largest economy said on Thursday.
Thursday, February 3rd 2011 - 21:17 UTC
With inflation pressures ‘contained’, ECB leaves interest rates unchanged

European Central Bank (ECB) has kept interest rates in the Euro zone unchanged at a record low 1%, despite fears of increasing inflation. Speaking at a press conference after the rate decision, the ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet claimed that inflation pressures remained contained.
Thursday, February 3rd 2011 - 19:12 UTC
Falklands receives 6.000 cruise visitors in one day; 90% satisfaction rate

FALKLAND Islands Tourist Board statistics showed a 90% satisfaction rate yesterday on the busiest day ever in Stanley’s cruise ship visitor history.