20081109
20081101
Japanese tourists
Have you heard about the case of that fugitive who held hostage a bus load of Japanese tourists?
The police have 5,000 pictures of him.
The police have 5,000 pictures of him.
20081029
Lobster fishermen feel pinch of global crisis
OTTAWA (Reuters) - People eating in restaurants are spending less and avoiding pricier foods, which means you can now add Canada's lobster fishermen to the long list of those hurt by the global financial crisis.
The C$1 billion ($775 million) a year industry is struggling to cope with a slump in demand in the United States and Europe that has pushed wholesale prices in some places down to levels not seen in 25 years or more.
"A lot of lobster is eaten in restaurants and restaurant sales are very sluggish, we're told," said Denny Morrow, head of the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association.
"(With) this financial meltdown and the constant barrage of negative economic news ... I think consumers are choosing not to buy the high-end items," he told Reuters on Monday, saying demand for live lobster at this time of year is usually high.
The Canadian industry is centered in the Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Last year fishermen could sell their lobsters for as much as C$7 a pound. This year they are getting much less.
"Our season just finished and our prices were C$4 a pound to the fisherman. That's about 25 percent less than compared to last year ... (while) operating costs have increased by about 32 percent," said Ed Frenette of the Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association.
"Everybody is relating it to the financial crisis worldwide ... the American consumer just doesn't seem to be buying lobster, considering it to be a luxury item," he told Reuters.
Laurence Cook of the Grand Manan Fishermen's Association in New Brunswick said the market has stalled amid clear signs of what he called greed. Lobster that fishermen were selling for C$2.75 a pound is priced at C$12.99 in local stores, he said.
"People are being very cautious right now. They're not going to go out and buy a C$12.99 lobster, so they don't move, and because they didn't move, the price goes down further," he told Reuters.
"We need to get some mechanism in place to limit the amount of mark-up after they leave the boat."
Adding to the lobstermen's woes is the recent failure of Icelandic bank Glitnir, which had offered several Canadian food processors lines of credit.
"It's not a good situation ... if something isn't done we'll see homes gone and vehicles and boats (gone) because people were extended," Cook said.
In Nova Scotia, Morrow had a message for consumers in other parts of Canada and the United States.
"Tell everybody down there to eat lobster. You can't beat it right now, it's a great buy," he said.
The C$1 billion ($775 million) a year industry is struggling to cope with a slump in demand in the United States and Europe that has pushed wholesale prices in some places down to levels not seen in 25 years or more.
"A lot of lobster is eaten in restaurants and restaurant sales are very sluggish, we're told," said Denny Morrow, head of the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association.
"(With) this financial meltdown and the constant barrage of negative economic news ... I think consumers are choosing not to buy the high-end items," he told Reuters on Monday, saying demand for live lobster at this time of year is usually high.
The Canadian industry is centered in the Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Last year fishermen could sell their lobsters for as much as C$7 a pound. This year they are getting much less.
"Our season just finished and our prices were C$4 a pound to the fisherman. That's about 25 percent less than compared to last year ... (while) operating costs have increased by about 32 percent," said Ed Frenette of the Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association.
"Everybody is relating it to the financial crisis worldwide ... the American consumer just doesn't seem to be buying lobster, considering it to be a luxury item," he told Reuters.
Laurence Cook of the Grand Manan Fishermen's Association in New Brunswick said the market has stalled amid clear signs of what he called greed. Lobster that fishermen were selling for C$2.75 a pound is priced at C$12.99 in local stores, he said.
"People are being very cautious right now. They're not going to go out and buy a C$12.99 lobster, so they don't move, and because they didn't move, the price goes down further," he told Reuters.
"We need to get some mechanism in place to limit the amount of mark-up after they leave the boat."
Adding to the lobstermen's woes is the recent failure of Icelandic bank Glitnir, which had offered several Canadian food processors lines of credit.
"It's not a good situation ... if something isn't done we'll see homes gone and vehicles and boats (gone) because people were extended," Cook said.
In Nova Scotia, Morrow had a message for consumers in other parts of Canada and the United States.
"Tell everybody down there to eat lobster. You can't beat it right now, it's a great buy," he said.
20081024
20070303
Swiss accidentally invade Liechtenstein
What began as a routine training exercise almost ended in an embarrassing diplomatic incident after a company of Swiss soldiers got lost at night and marched into neighboring Liechtenstein.
According to Swiss daily Blick, the 170 infantry soldiers wandered just over a mile across an unmarked border into the tiny principality early Thursday before realizing their mistake and turning back.
A spokesman for the Swiss army confirmed the story but said that there were unlikely to be any serious repercussions for the mistaken invasion.
"We've spoken to the authorities in Liechtenstein and it's not a problem", Daniel Reist told The Associated Press.
Officials in Liechtenstein also played down the incident.
Interior ministry spokesman Markus Amman said nobody in Liechtenstein had even noticed the soldiers, who were carrying assault rifles but no ammunition. "It's not like they stormed over here with attack helicopters or something," he said.
Liechtenstein, which has about 34,000 inhabitants and is slightly smaller than Washington DC, doesn't have an army.
According to Swiss daily Blick, the 170 infantry soldiers wandered just over a mile across an unmarked border into the tiny principality early Thursday before realizing their mistake and turning back.
A spokesman for the Swiss army confirmed the story but said that there were unlikely to be any serious repercussions for the mistaken invasion.
"We've spoken to the authorities in Liechtenstein and it's not a problem", Daniel Reist told The Associated Press.
Officials in Liechtenstein also played down the incident.
Interior ministry spokesman Markus Amman said nobody in Liechtenstein had even noticed the soldiers, who were carrying assault rifles but no ammunition. "It's not like they stormed over here with attack helicopters or something," he said.
Liechtenstein, which has about 34,000 inhabitants and is slightly smaller than Washington DC, doesn't have an army.
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