June 24, 2012
Rio+20: $513 billion pledged to sustainable development
FroAt the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), some $513 billion in funding has been committed by governments, the private sector, civil society and other groups to achieve a sustainable future. m the very beginning we…
June 24, 2012
US to increase use of spy planes in the Caribbean
The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) is reporting that the United States (US) plans to step up the use of Predator drones in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico as it increases drug smuggling surveillance. Predator drones were used by American…
June 24, 2012
Last Pinta giant tortoise Lonesome George dies
Staff at the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador say Lonesome George, a giant tortoise believed to be the last of its subspecies, has died. Scientists estimate he was about 100 years old. Park officials said they would carry out a post-mortem to…
June 24, 2012
Bolivia police protests continue after deal is rejected
Police in Bolivia, who have been on strike in protest at low pay, have rejected a deal their representative struck with the government. The officers burned the document their negotiator had signed after all-night talks with the Interior Minister…
June 24, 2012
Greek PM Samaras to miss EU summit following surgery
Greece's new Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will miss this week's EU summit while he recovers from eye surgery, according to a government spokesman. He underwent routine surgery on Saturday for a damaged retina, with the operation said to have…
June 24, 2012
GM recalls Chevrolet Cruze over fire risk
US car manufacturer General Motors has recalled almost half a million cars to reduce the risk of fire. It plans to modify Chevrolet Cruze sedans, a popular model, so that flammable liquids are not caught in the engine, GM said. The recall affects…
June 24, 2012
Nintendo to revamp 3DS handheld with bigger screens
Nintendo will start selling a version of its 3DS handheld gaming console with bigger screens from July. The 3DS LL, which will be known as the XL outside Japan, will have displays that are almost twice as big as those on the current version. It…
June 24, 2012
Eurozone four leaders agree economic growth package
Leaders of the eurozone's four biggest nations have agreed in principle to measures to boost growth equal to 1% of the currency area's economic output. Germany, France, Italy and Spain outlined plans to push for a 130bn-euros (£104bn; $163bn)…
June 24, 2012
Chile’s Lan and Brazil’s Tam merge to create huge airline
Chile's Lan airline has completed a takeover of Brazil's Tam, creating the world's second largest airline by market value, to be known as Latam. After two years of negotiations, Tam shareholders agreed to the takeover. The new company will have…
June 24, 2012
Tropical Storm Debby Threatens US Gulf Coast
A tropical storm advisory has been issued for parts of four southern U.S. states as tropical Tropical Storm Debby, the fourth storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, makes its way to the Gulf Coast bringing heavy rains and thunderstorms. The…