International

• Friday, March 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Claims of illegal trade of polar bear hides in Russia

  

  Illegal trade in hides of polar bears, a species in steady decline throughout the Arctic is on the rise in Russia, the World Wildlife Fund said on Thursday.

• Friday, March 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Five years on Iraq faces “terrorism and corruption” disease

  

  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”.

• Thursday, March 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Spain faces excess housing: 3 million flats empty

  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.

• Thursday, March 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Rock band to break world record by playing in Antarctica

  

  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.

• Thursday, March 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  “Severe production deficit” forecasted for soybean

  

  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.

• Thursday, March 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Fearing inflation Beijing raises banks' reserve ratio

  

  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.

• Thursday, March 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Credit crisis could “wipe” 800 billion from financial system

  

  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.

• Thursday, March 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Herbivorous fish can help save the Great Barrier Reef corals

  

  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.

• Wednesday, March 19th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Gurkhas hand back medals in protest and justice

  

  Thousands of retired Gurkha soldiers are to gather outside Parliament to campaign for justice and fair treatment.

• Tuesday, March 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Singapore's A380 superjumbo starts London route

  

  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.