Stories for May 10th 2011
Good soybean crop prospects in Brazil and Argentina, could total 123 million tons
Soybean crop prospects in Brazil and Argentina, the second- and third-biggest exporters of the oilseed behind the U.S., have improved, researcher Oil World said in a report Tuesday. Growers in Brazil will produce 73 million metric tons of soybeans, up from a record 68.7 million tons a year ago, and farmers in Argentina will harvest 49.5 million tons, up 1% from a prior estimate.
YPF makes large shale oil discovery, equivalent to 6% of Argentina’s reserves
Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced on Tuesday that YPF energy company had made a large shale oil discovery in Neuquén province, a find that she considered to be of extreme importance, since “it will allow for us to maintain and further promote development” throughout the country.
Beijing promises a more flexible Yuan exchange rate, says US Treasury
China assured the United States that it will continue moving toward a more flexible Yuan exchange rate, a US Treasury official said on Tuesday. The announcement came as the Central bank set the Yuan reference rate at the strongest level since 2005.
China’s trade surplus soars in April with imports less dynamic than exports
China's trade surplus in April was nearly four times bigger than expected, with exports far exceeding imports. The trade surplus was 11.4 billion US dollars, according to the customs agency, whereas analysts had expected a figure of about 3 billion USD.
Triesman claims FIFA members asked for favours to vote for England 2018 World Cup
Former English football association chairman David Triesman has accused FIFA executive committee members Jack Warner, Ricardo Teixeira, Nicolas Leoz and Worawi Makudi of asking for favours in return for their votes for England's 2018 World Cup bid.
Microsoft buys Skype for 8.5bn USD; targets Google leading position in advertising
Microsoft Corporation agreed to buy Skype Technologies SA for 8.5 billion US dollars in cash to gain the world’s most popular Internet calling service and its 663 million customers.
Memorials in London, Cambridge and Falklands remember Britons lost in Antarctica
Two memorials dedicated to Britons who lost their lives in the service of science in Antarctica are unveiled this week. Since 1948, a total of 29 people have died in the British Antarctic Territory, one of the most extreme, inhospitable and uncharted places on Earth.
Falklands will receive another group of Chilean exchange students next September
Another group of Chilean students from Punta Arenas will be travelling to the Falkland Islands next September in the framework of the exchange program agreed between city officials and Falklands’ authorities, according to a report in La Prensa Austral.
Why the Falklands want to stay British
by Emma Edwards / 29 Apr 2011
In November 2010, journalist Peter Preston set out his opinions on the future of the Falkland Islands. He urged Her Majesty’s Government to “Ditch The Falklands” and to start discussing the possibility of shared sovereignty with Argentina.
Measles vaccination campaign in Chile following several confirmed cases
Undersecretary of Health Jorge Díaz confirmed Saturday that there are seven contagious cases of measles in Chile, but emphasized that “it’s not an epidemic or anything of the sort.”
