Iraqi President Jalal Talabani singled out violence and corruption as the main problems facing his country on the fifth anniversary of the invasion. Talabani welcomed the end of Saddam Hussein's era of torture and tyranny, but warned that violence, terrorism and corruption had now become a disease.
A new United Nations report has criticized the housing policy in Spain, and highlighted the fact that local councils have been dependent on granting of building licences and other real estate deals for their income.
Emo rock band Fall Out Boy are set to break a world record next week by playing a concert in Antarctica. The US band will travel to Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile and then on March 25th to President Frei base in King George Island.
Global 2007-08 soybean harvests will total 221.33 million tons, below forecast consumption of 239.49 million tons, Hamburg-based oilseeds analysts Oil World estimates. This compares to 2006/07 output of 237.79 million tons and consumption of 225.34 million tons.
China's Central Bank increased the amount of money commercial banks must keep in reserve just hours after Premier Wen Jiabao warned inflation was a top concern. The People's Bank of China said in a statement the bank reserve ratio would rise half a percentage point to 15.5% from March 25, in yet another bid to implement tight monetary policies and cool the economy.
The mounting global credit crisis could develop into a financial contagion and could wipe 800 billion US dollars of value from the books of US and global financial institutions, an official of the International Monetary Fund said.
A healthy fish population could be the key to ensuring coral reefs survive the impacts of climate change, pollution, over fishing and other threats. Australian scientists found that some fish act as lawnmowers, keeping coral free of kelp and unwanted algae.
Thousands of retired Gurkha soldiers are to gather outside Parliament to campaign for justice and fair treatment.
Amid pomp and ceremony, the world's biggest passenger plane, the Airbus A380 superjumbo, headed for Heathrow airport on its first commercial flight to Europe.
Heathrow Airport's controversial Terminal 5 is set to be opened by the Queen in a ceremony involving hundreds of airport and construction workers.