http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with news that matters. Covering current affairs, world news, environmental affairs and sport en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244758,canadas-harper-staves-off-defeat-conservatives-charge-treason.html Montreal - Prime Minister Stephen Harper won an important and historic tactical victory Thursday in his no-holds-barred confrontation with combined forces of the opposition. But the crisis has also whipped political ... America,World Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:36:52 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244758,canadas-harper-staves-off-defeat-conservatives-charge-treason.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244757,extra-gm-chrysler-would-consider-merger-as-condition-for-bail-out.html Washington - US carmakers General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC Thursday said they would be willing to consider a merger as a condition for receiving a federal bail-out. The idea was suggested by US lawmakers during a committee hearing on the three US... US,Business Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:12:38 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244757,extra-gm-chrysler-would-consider-merger-as-condition-for-bail-out.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244756,one-climber-dies-on-new-zealand-peak-another-saved--summary.html Wellington - One Japanese climber stranded on Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak in the Southern Alps, for a week was airlifted to safety by a helicopter early Friday morning, but his companion died during the night, police said. Police said the ... Australasia,World Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:06:32 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244756,one-climber-dies-on-new-zealand-peak-another-saved--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244755,extra-palestinian-authority-settlers-could-end-peace-process.html Ramallah - The Palestinian Authority (PA) warned Thursday that clashes by Israeli settlers in Hebron and other West Bank areas could end the peace process. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned in a statemen... Middle East,World Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:00:43 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244755,extra-palestinian-authority-settlers-could-end-peace-process.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244754,bush-purchases-dallas-home-for-post-white-house-life.html Washington - Outgoing US President George W Bush and his wife Laura plan to return to their roots after an eight-year stint at the White House and have bought a new home in Dallas, the White House said Thursday. The couple will move into the new hous... US,World Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:36:32 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244754,bush-purchases-dallas-home-for-post-white-house-life.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244753,white-house-welcomes-approval-of-us-iraqi-security-agreement.html Washington/Baghdad - The United States hailed Iraq's approval of a security pact Thursday as a significant milestone that solidifies US support for Iraq's reconstruction and sets a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq in the coming yea... US,World Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:18:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244753,white-house-welcomes-approval-of-us-iraqi-security-agreement.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244752,in-battle-of-the-super-dolls-barbie-beats-bratz.html Los Angeles - The battle of the super-dolls has been decided. Mattel, the world's largest toy company and the maker of Barbie dolls, has won a crucial court battle that could prematurely end the career of Barbie's biggest-ever competitor, the sassy l... US,Business Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:18:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244752,in-battle-of-the-super-dolls-barbie-beats-bratz.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244751,us-carmakers-take-bail-out-plea-before-congress--again--summary.html Washington - The heads of the United States' three ailing carmakers appeared before a still-skeptical Congress Thursday for the second time in less than a month to ask for a 34-billion-dollar bail- o... US,Business Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:12:46 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244751,us-carmakers-take-bail-out-plea-before-congress--again--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244750,one-stranded-climber-lifted-off-new-zealand-peak.html Wellington - A Japanese climber stranded for a week on Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak in its Southern Alps, was airlifted to safety by a helicopter early Friday morning, police said. The man, who was not identifed, was described as sick but ... Australasia,World Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:57:37 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244750,one-stranded-climber-lifted-off-new-zealand-peak.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244749,georgia-welcomes-osce-call-for-implementation-of-ceasefire--summary.html Helsinki - The Georgian foreign minister on Thursday welcomed the support of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as she sought to muster support in her country's dispute with Russia at a meeting of the 56-nation organization... Europe,World Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:51:24 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244749,georgia-welcomes-osce-call-for-implementation-of-ceasefire--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244748,argentine-cruise-ship-calls-for-help-in-antarctica.html Buenos Aires - The Argentine cruise ship Ciudad de Ushuaia, with 122 people on board, called for help Thursday after getting stuck in the ice, suffering a fuel leak and letting in a minimal amount of water, the Argentine Navy said in Buenos Aires. ... America,World Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:51:24 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244748,argentine-cruise-ship-calls-for-help-in-antarctica.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244747,thirteen-dead-bodies-found-on-rural-path-in-north-western-mexico.html Mexico City - Thirteen dead bodies were found Thursday near an abandoned truck on a rural path in the municipality of San Ignacio, in the north-western Mexican state of Sinaloa, local police said. The bodies had been shot by AK-47 rifles and were fou... America,World Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:45:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244747,thirteen-dead-bodies-found-on-rural-path-in-north-western-mexico.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244746,london-stock-exchange-quotations-4-december-2008.html London - Closing prices in pence on the London Stock Exchange. In brackets movement against the previous quotation.FT-100 Index  4,163.61(-6.35) (- 0.15 %) BAT Industries1,697.00(- 13.00) (- 0.76 %) BP Amoco        511.75(+5.75) (+ 1.14 %) Diageo    ... Business Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:39:16 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244746,london-stock-exchange-quotations-4-december-2008.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244745,zimbabwean-bank-board-dismissed-for-illegal-currency-dealings.html Harare/Johannesburg - The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) on Thursday dissolved an entire board and its management of a commercial bank, accusing it of illegally trading in foreign currency. Announcing the dissolution of the CFX Bank to the media, Gid... Africa,World Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:27:13 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244745,zimbabwean-bank-board-dismissed-for-illegal-currency-dealings.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244744,jonsson-clinches-womens-world-cup-opener.html Ostersund, Sweden - Helena Jonsson of Sweden won her first individual biathlon World Cup event by clinching the women's 15km before a home crowd in Ostersund on Thursday. Jonsson, 24, made no errors on the shooting range on her way to victory in 45 m... Sports Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:27:13 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244744,jonsson-clinches-womens-world-cup-opener.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244743,baltic-defence-ministers-plan-joint-infantry-force.html Vilnius - Defence ministers from the three small Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania met in Birstonas, Lithuania, Thursday to discuss plans to pool their armed forced and create a joint infantry battalion. Jaak Aaviksoo of Estonia, Vine... World Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:12:38 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244743,baltic-defence-ministers-plan-joint-infantry-force.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244742,two-suffocate-in-snowed-in-car-in-austria.html Vienna - What should have been a cozy night-time conversation in a car in the Tyrolean mountains took a tragic turn, when a young German man and woman died from inhaling exhaust fumes in their snowed-in car, a police spokesman confirmed Thursday. Inv... Australasia,World Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:06:39 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244742,two-suffocate-in-snowed-in-car-in-austria.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244741,viacom-announces-lay-offs.html Los Angeles - Media conglomerate Viacom, the owner of MTV Networks and Paramount Pictures, announced Thursday that it was laying off 7 per cent of its workforce as it tries to cut costs during the economic downturn. The company said that about 850 pe... US,Business Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:54:25 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244741,viacom-announces-lay-offs.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244740,international-stock-market-quotations-4-december-2008.html Frankfurt - The following index quotations were noted on the world's major stock markets:... Business Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:42:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244740,international-stock-market-quotations-4-december-2008.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244739,frankfurt-stock-exchange-quotations-4-december-2008.html Frankfurt - Frankfurt Stock Exchange closing prices in euros. In brackets the point movement of index/price movement of stocks against previous quotation: DAX4,564.23 (- 3.01) MDAX 5,192.70 (+19.39) Adidas24.22 (+0.26) Allianz 66.95 (+2.80) BASF23.62... Business Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:42:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/244739,frankfurt-stock-exchange-quotations-4-december-2008.html