Stories for February 2013

Thursday, February 28th 2013 - 06:00 UTC
Benedict XVI admits deep trouble in the Church; next Pope before Palm Sunday

Bidding an emotional farewell to a huge crowd gathered in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square, Pope Benedict XVI indirectly acknowledged Wednesday that his nearly eight years as head of the Roman Catholic Church have not always been easy.
Thursday, February 28th 2013 - 05:57 UTC
HMS Argyll briefed in Portugal on illegal drugs trade ahead of South Atlantic deployment

South Atlantic patrol HMS Argyll has stopped at Lisbon to be briefed on the illegal drugs trade off West Africa in preparation for her Atlantic deployment, according to a Royal Navy release.
Thursday, February 28th 2013 - 05:48 UTC
Stunning images of Red Sea deep under grand-canyon discovered by HMS Enterprise

The survey ship 'HMS Enterprise' nets stunning images of a Grand Canyon-style ocean floor hidden deep under the Red Sea. Discovering the 250 metre deep canyon after leaving the Egyptian port of Safaga the ship used her sophisticated EM1002 Multibeam echo sounder to create the 3D images, allowing the ocean floor to be seen for the first time.
Thursday, February 28th 2013 - 05:40 UTC
Australia beef and veal export reached 4.77 billion dollars

Australian beef and veal export values in 2012 increased 2% year-on-year, reaching 4.77 billion dollars. While beef and veal export volumes during 2012 notched a record, values were short of the equivalent feat, influenced by a greater proportion of exports made up of frozen product and the high Australian dollar.
Thursday, February 28th 2013 - 05:33 UTC
Sweden sponsoring tax on meat consumption to help reduce greenhouse gases

In order to reduce greenhouse gases and to sustain the environment Swedish agricultural authorities are suggesting a tax to tame the appetite for meat. The more meat is consumed the more feed is needed to meet this demand, and with the extensive drought the occurred in the US and feed shortages elsewhere in the world. Could this be a viable solution?
Thursday, February 28th 2013 - 05:25 UTC
EU reaches ambitious agreement on fish discarding; no details on implementation

Fifty years after the European Union fishing quota system was introduced, the EU has at last reached an ambitious agreement on the controversial practice of discarding fish. This comes over a month after the European Parliament voted for a ban.
Thursday, February 28th 2013 - 03:41 UTC
Cameron accuses Labour candidate of supporting Argentina during the Falklands’ war

Ahead of a much disputed by election at Eastleigh, Hampshire, Prime Minister David Cameron had a chance to make an impression during the PM questions on Wednesday accusing Labour hopeful John O’Farrell of supporting terrorism and Argentina because he wanted Great Britain to lose the Falklands’ war.
Thursday, February 28th 2013 - 01:50 UTC
Argentine soy bean crop despite late rainfall expected to reach 48 million tons

The Rosario Chamber of Commerce estimates Argentina’s soy production at 48 million tons, which is 9.4% below the 2012/13 harvest estimate of January, 53 million tons, mainly because of a prolonged drought which extended from early December to mid February.
Thursday, February 28th 2013 - 01:39 UTC
UK economy expands 0.2% in 2012, but growth remains sluggish

The UK economy grew by more than previously thought in 2012, official figures have shown. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revised its growth estimate for the year up from no growth to 0.2%. But the figure for the last three months of the year was left unchanged at a quarterly contraction of 0.3%.
Thursday, February 28th 2013 - 01:27 UTC
Shell suspends offshore drilling program in the Arctic for the rest of 2013

Royal Dutch Shell has said that it will suspend its offshore drilling program in the Arctic for the rest of 2013 in order to give time to ensure safety. The decision to pause drilling for oil in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off Alaska was widely expected, following a catalogue of problems last year.