International

Wednesday, December 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
More than 100 countries sign treaty banning cluster bombs

Representatives of more than 100 countries gathered in Oslo, Norway Wednesday to sign a treaty banning cluster bombs. Norway, which has led efforts to ban cluster bombs, was the first to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use, production, and sale of the weapons.
Wednesday, December 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
UK mortgage market receives £ 1 billion to stem repossessions

British Primer Minister Gordon Brown has moved to stem growing repossessions with a £1 billion package to allow struggling homeowners to defer mortgage payments for up to two years.
Tuesday, December 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Mumbai attacks leave India and Pakistan on edge of conflict

India on Monday made it clear that the deadly terror strikes in Mumbai were carried out by Pakistan-based militants and asked Islamabad to take “strong action” against the “elements responsible for this outrage” - a sign that ties between the two countries are headed for a rocky patch.
Tuesday, December 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Another black Monday for the stock markets calendar

Wall Street suffered one of its worst days Monday, slicing 680 points off the Dow Jones industrial average as fears of a recession, or even worse, were confirmed by the latest data. Not only did stocks end their last week's five-day winning streak, they erased more than half the gains and the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index one of the broadest market gauges, lost nearly 9%.
Tuesday, December 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
US cruise vessel outruns hijacking pirates in Gulf of Aden

Pirates chased and shot at a US cruise liner with more than 1,000 people on board but failed to hijack the vessel as it sailed along a corridor patrolled by international warships, a maritime official said Tuesday.
Tuesday, December 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Melamine scandal virtually grounds China's dairy exports

China's dairy exports have all but ground to a halt following the scandal earlier this year when milk was tainted with the industrial chemical melamine. Data reported in the country's state media suggests that dairy exports fell 92% year-on-year in October.
Tuesday, December 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Kuwait sovereign fund also interested in Repsol-YPF

The Kuwait Investment Authority, KIA, could rival a bid by Russian oil company Lukoil for the 20% stake in the Spanish oil corporation Repsol.YPF, according to the Finmarket website, which was published in Madrid's ABC newspaper.
Tuesday, December 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Oil tumbles to 47 USD; call for Russia & Norway to join OPEC

While oil skidded to its lowest level since May 2005 in New York on Tuesday, the head of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) said he hopes oil producing nations like Russia will join the organization, or at least agree to output cuts to help spark a rally in prices.
Tuesday, December 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Unemployment up is Spain: almost 3 million jobless

The number of people filing for jobless benefits in Spain soared to almost 3 million following a 6% rise in unemployment during November. The Labour Ministry said Tuesday that an additional 171,243 people signed on for unemployment benefits last month, bringing the total to 2.99 million.
Monday, December 1st 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Japan imports whale meat from Iceland; first time in 17 years

Japan has bought whale meat from Iceland, the first time in 17 years it has imported the banned meat, according to a Saturday report from Kyodo News agency.