International

Sunday, January 6th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Prepare for one of the top hottest year on record say experts

World temperatures will cool slightly this year but 2008 will remain among the top 10 hottest years on record (since 1850), predicted British weather experts and the University of East Anglia.
Saturday, January 5th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
OPEC anticipates higher oil prices during first quarter

OPEC president Chakib Khelil said on Saturday that the organization is supplying the international market with enough crude but can't be blamed for record prices. But he anticipated oil prices can be expected to keep rising during the first quarter of this year before stabilizing in the following quarter.
Friday, January 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Conservationists condemn Alaskan Ocean oil drilling

Environmental groups have expressed outrage over a decision by the US government to open a huge area off Alaska's northwest coast for oil drilling.
Thursday, January 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
OPEC warns oil prices could climb even higher

Oil prices hovered on the record 100 US dollars a barrel even after Indonesia OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) governor Maizar Rahman said the cartel has the capability to increase production by 500,000 barrels a day in the coming February meeting. However he warned that oil prices could climb even higher.
Thursday, January 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
China's forecasts for 2008: 10.8% growth and inflation 4.5%

China's economy is forecasted to expand two digits for the sixth consecutive year in a context of inflation, which was record in a decade in 2007, reported this week the Shanghai Securities News, quoting a government think-tank.
Wednesday, January 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Pope calls peace 'divine gift' in New Year's mass

Peace is a “divine gift,” Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday in his traditional New Year's Day mass, stressing the role of the family as an agent of peace.
Wednesday, January 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Stomach bug downs passengers on 'cursed' ship

Cunard's £300 million MS Queen Victoria - which was officially launched by Camilla in Southampton three weeks ago when she failed to successfully smash the champagne bottle on its side - has been struck by a potentially fatal stomach bug.
Wednesday, January 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Ban Ki-moon struggles to raise UN profile

Flying 350,000km and visiting 39 countries, Ban Ki-moon has put tireless energy into his first year as UN secretary-general but has struggled to raise the profile of the much-criticized body.
Wednesday, January 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Paris and Berlin ban cafe smoking beginning Jan 1

Smoking has been banned in bars in the capitals of France and Germany but the laws will not be enforced immediately.
Wednesday, January 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Individual privacy protection worsened in 2007, report says

Privacy protection for individuals worsened around the globe in 2007, as governments stepped up surveillance and data-gathering to improve security, according to a report by two advocacy groups.