International

• Tuesday, March 23rd 2010 - 02:55 UTC

  Four Rio Tinto executives admit taking bribes to a court in Shanghai

  

  Four executives of mining giant Rio Tinto have admitted to a court in the Chinese city of Shanghai that they took bribes, officials have said. Lawyers for the men - Australian Stern Hu and three Chinese colleagues - said they admitted accepting some money but are disputing the amounts.

• Monday, March 22nd 2010 - 21:21 UTC

  Drastic reduction of glaciers in the Northeast sector of Antarctic Peninsula

  

  There is a continuous and drastic reduction in all of the glaciers located in the Northeast sector of the Antarctic Peninsula,” Argentine glaciologist Pedro Skvarca told local media last week.

• Monday, March 22nd 2010 - 21:08 UTC

  “Slow and sluggish” UK economy in 2010 forecasts British Industry

  

  The UK economy is in for a “bumpy ride” in 2010, according to a report from the UK's largest employers' group. Growth will remain fragile and the economy will be “slow and sluggish” as Government stimulus measures - like the VAT cut and the car scrappage scheme - are phased out, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said.

• Saturday, March 20th 2010 - 08:51 UTC

  British Airways battles cabin crew strike

  

  British Airways said it would fly more than 60 percent of passengers with flights booked for this weekend despite a three-day cabin crew strike that risks hurting the Labor government weeks before an election.

• Saturday, March 20th 2010 - 04:05 UTC

  Letter to Lula da Silva: “Cuba no longer a symbol, no longer a taboo”

  

  Brazil and the community of Latin American countries are the only ones with the ability to influence the Cuban government’s position on human rights and media freedom, says a letter addressed to Brazilian president Lula da Silva by Reporters Without Borders.

• Saturday, March 20th 2010 - 01:42 UTC

  Latinamerica left out of Denmark’s aid and development programs

  

  Denmark’s Minister of Development and Cooperation Sören Pind announced Friday that Latinamerica would be eliminated from the Danish International Development Agency economic aid programs, which in 2008 totalled almost 100 million US dollars concentrated in “vulnerable and fragile” zones.

• Saturday, March 20th 2010 - 01:27 UTC

  Gibraltar delegation at Europe-Latinamerica Liberal parties’ forum in Cadiz

  

  A delegation from the Liberal Party of Gibraltar will be in Cadiz this weekend to participate in an international political conference entitled “200 Years of a Common Liberal Identity: A Liberal Agenda for Europe-Latin America Relations”.

• Saturday, March 20th 2010 - 01:25 UTC

  China and Rio Tinto will jointly develop massive iron ore deposits in Guinea

  

  Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto announced it has signed a deal with China to develop a massive iron ore mine in West Africa. China's state-backed metals group Chinalco will pay 1.3 billion US dollars for 47% of the Simandou project in Guinea.

• Friday, March 19th 2010 - 16:48 UTC

  Falklands’ delegation at annual OCT’s forum for closer links with European Union

  

  A Falkland Islands delegation is on its way to Brussels for the annual Forum for Overseas Countries & Territories of the European Union, which will be attended by representatives of all 21 EU Overseas Countries & Territories, reports the Falklands Legislative Assembly

• Friday, March 19th 2010 - 03:47 UTC

  Warning petrol in UK could reach 120p a litre; 3p increase from April

  

  Petrol prices could reach an eye-watering 120 pennies per litre later this year, the AA is warning. The organisation is claiming that unleaded fuel could even top the price, equivalent to £5.41 a gallon, and Alistair Darling is being urged to delay the introduction of a planned 3p increase in petrol duty due to come in on April 1.