Stories for January 2009

Thursday, January 15th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
International Year of Astronomy to honour Galileo

A large cluster of astronomers have been present in Paris this week at the official launch of the International Year of Astronomy, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said.
Wednesday, January 14th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
To comply with OPEC, Ecuador cuts private oil output

The Ecuadorian government has decided to suspend oil production by Italy's Agip and France's Perenco, both of which operate in the Amazon region, to comply with new OPEC cuts.
Wednesday, January 14th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
More evidence that Asians first marched into the Americas

A study has revealed genetic links between people who inhabited northern Peru more than 1,000 years ago and the Japanese, according to reports from El Comercio from Lima, one of the country leading newspapers.
Wednesday, January 14th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Brazilian 2008 farm exports up 23%, total 71.9 billion

Brazilian farm exports totalled a record 71.9 billion US dollars in 2008, up 23% over 2007, according to the latest reports from the Ministry of Agriculture. Farm exports also reported a surplus of 60 billion US dollars last year while agro-business represented 36.3% of all of the country's shipments.
Wednesday, January 14th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
China's imports dropped a record 21.3% in December

China's exports and imports have suffered their biggest decline in a decade. Exports in December were down 2.8% from the same time last year, a bigger decline than November's 2.2% drop, while imports were down 21.3% (17.9% in November), the China Daily said.
Wednesday, January 14th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Obama promises a “new chapter” in relations with Latam

Barack Obama, who takes over as US President on January 20 promised a “new chapter” in relations with Latinamerica and stronger US-Mexico links, following a meeting on Monday with President Felipe Calderón in Washington. It was Obama's first meeting with a foreign leader since his November election.
Wednesday, January 14th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Falklands remembers hard times' good friend and lobbyist

Major General (retired) Nigel St. George Gribbon OBE, the founding Chairman of the United Kingdom Falkland Islands Trust (UKFIT) was Managing Director of British PR Company, Sallingbury Limited, before and during the South Atlantic conflict (1982) and provided PR expertise for the political lobbying group the Falkland Islands Association.
Wednesday, January 14th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Dengue emergency in Bolivia's most populated provinces

Bolivia declared this week a state of sanitary emergency in four of the country's provinces following a bout of 250 reported cases of dengue, a disease transmitted by the “Aedes Aegypti” and which can be deadly in its haemorrhagic strain.
Wednesday, January 14th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
The importance, for Italian bankers, of not knowing English

Italian banks were saved from the US subprime mortgage originated crisis that has become global because they barely speak or understand English confessed the Italian Minister of Economy Giulio Tremonti during an interview published this week in the French newspaper Les Echos and picked up by global news agencies
Wednesday, January 14th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Abundant rainfall “shrinks” Brazil's Bolivian gas demand

Brazil will temporarily shut down power plants fired by natural gas from Bolivia and will reduce imports of the Bolivian fuel through the end of April, announced Mines and Energy mister Edison Lobao.