International

Wednesday, September 10th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Cautious OPEC to strictly comply with agreed quotas

OPEC has told its members to strictly limit their production to agreed quotas as Brent crude dipped below 100 US dollars a barrel for the first time since April. After talks in Vienna, OPEC president Chakib Khelil said the measures to curb over-production amounted to a cut of 520,000 barrels a day within 40 days.

Prices have sunk from a record of more than 147 US dollars a barrel seen in July.
Wednesday, September 10th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
China trade surplus hits new record in August: 28.7 b. USD

China's trade surplus hit a monthly record of 28.7 billion US dollars in August, despite weaker world demand. Other official data showed consumer inflation in the month decreased considerably to a 14 month low of 4.9%.
Wednesday, September 10th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Norway blacklists Rio Tinto over environment concerns

Norway is banning its sovereign wealth fund from investing in Anglo-Australian mining firm Rio Tinto because of environmental concerns. The country's Finance minister Kirsten Halvorsen said the 875 million US dollars stake held by the country's “oil fund” would be sold.
Wednesday, September 10th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
UN: soaring prices and agro-fuel threaten right to food

The global food crisis caused by soaring prices is jeopardizing the right to food, and any potential solution to the problem must be viewed through the lens of human rights, an independent United Nations expert said Wednesday.
Tuesday, September 9th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
OPEC calls to tackle “free for all energy speculation”

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries conference in Vienna opened on Tuesday with a strong call to address the “free for all speculation in the energy sector” and the vindication that “throughout this turbulent period, supply and demand fundamentals have been sound”.
Monday, September 8th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Chinese observatory in Antarctica's highest peak

China will set up a new observatory station in Antarctica at the region's highest peak within two years an official from the Polar Research Institute of China announced in Beijing reports the country's news agency Xinhua.
Monday, September 8th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Growing political consensus in UK to clamp immigration

British lawmakers plan to demand new limits on immigration to help slow the population growth in the United Kingdom.
Monday, September 8th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Global markets rallied in support of US mortgage move

Global shares rallied on Monday after the US government said it was taking over troubled mortgage lenders Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Investors hoped the largest bail-out in US history would prop up the country's housing market and ultimately help to end the credit crunch, analysts said
Sunday, September 7th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Promising test for early detection of BSE (mad cow) in cattle

The discovery of elevated protein levels in the urine of some cattle infected with mad cow disease, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, BSE, raises the possibility that animals could eventually be screened using a test similar to a home pregnancy kit, according to reports from the University of Manitoba.
Sunday, September 7th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Eat less meat and help climate change, says UN expert

People should eat less meat if they want to make a difference to climate change, according to a UN expert. Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC) told London's The Observer in an interview people should have one meat-free day a week to tackle global warming.