Tourism

• Monday, February 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina promotes bird-watching as form of tourism

  

  An estimated 500 ornithologists from Argentina are to meet in San Martín de los Andes, Neuquén, next March 5 to seek ways of promoting bird-watching as a form of tourism.
  
  Argentina is scheduled to host a world birdwatchers conference in September.

• Monday, February 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Spain leads as EU main attraction for foreign tourists

  

  The number of nights spent in hotels by tourists in 2007 was highest in Spain followed by France, Germany and the United Kingdom according to the latest European statistics. The former Eastern Europe countries however registered the highest growth rate.

• Wednesday, February 13th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Julia Roberts on holidays in Chilean Patagonia

  

  Hollywood famous star Julia Roberts arrived Wednesday afternoon in Chile surrounded by utmost discretion and accompanied by her three children, a friend and a member of her staff, reported Santiago's Channel 13.

• Tuesday, February 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Controversial ruling of QM2 walkway accident that killed 16

  Civil claimants in the Queen Mary 2 walkway trial reacted furiously on Monday after a Saint Nazaire French court acquitted eight individual defendants accused of a share of responsibility for the accident, which claimed 16 lives and left 29 people injured in November 2003, reports Lloyd's List.

• Tuesday, February 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Dakar Rally 2009 will be held in Argentina and Chile

  

  Argentina and Chile will host the 2009 Dakar Rally after this year's race was cancelled because of safety concerns. The 2008 rally was called off in January after four French tourists were murdered in Mauritania on 24 December. An optional version will take place in Central Europe in April.

• Wednesday, February 6th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Tycoons and world's top mega-yachts visit Punta del Este

  

  The world's fifth largest yacht and one of the most expensive, 100 million US dollars, is currently anchored in the Uruguayan exclusive resort of Punta del Este. “Le Grand Bleu” was built in the Vulkan Bremen shipyards, designed by world famous mega-yachts Kusch Yachts and originally belonged to Roman Abramovich the Russian tycoon who among other things owns the English football club Chelsea.

• Monday, February 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil launch the biggest part of Rio's five-day dances

  

  Brazilian beauties wearing only sequins led carnival parades lasting until dawn Sunday as second-division samba groups used a kaleidoscope of colorful dancers and floats to launch the biggest part of Rio's five-day bash.

• Sunday, February 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Crocodiles' possible “missing link” presented in Rio

  

  The fossil of a land-bound reptile that could be a link between prehistoric and modern-day crocodiles was put on public display for the first time at the Federal University of Rio do Janeiro, reports National Geographic.

• Sunday, February 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Passengers survive plane crash in Bolivia

  

  A plane carrying more than 150 people crash-landed in a bog in eastern Bolivia last Friday after fierce storms turned it away from its destination and it tried to reach another airport hundreds of miles away, according to officials and news reports. All on board survived.

• Saturday, February 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Bad weather cancels QE 2 Falklands call; RAF farewell display

  The much anticipated final visit to the Falkland Islands by the Queen Elizabeth 2 passenger liner has had to be cancelled, reports FIRS.