Stories for July 2009

Wednesday, July 8th 2009 - 07:21 UTC
Tokyo, Osaka, Moscow, Geneva, Hong Kong, most costly cities

London no longer stands among the most expensive cities in the world to live in, as the fall in value of sterling and declining house prices have made life less expensive in the UK capital according to Mercer consultancy.
Wednesday, July 8th 2009 - 07:17 UTC
Costa Rican president to lead mediation in Honduras political crisis

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias is to lead mediation to resolve the political crisis in Honduras. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the announcement in Washington after meeting ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya.
Tuesday, July 7th 2009 - 11:22 UTC
Mrs. Clinton bridges dialogue between Honduras “ousted and interim” leaders

Ousted Honduran leader Manuel Zelaya was scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Tuesday, as the country's political crisis talks moved to Washington.
Tuesday, July 7th 2009 - 11:17 UTC
Lula da Silva criticizes G8 summit; calls for BRIC participation

Rich countries are not living up to their pledges to help developing countries weather the effects of the global economic crisis said Brazilian president Lula da Silva, ahead of this week’s G8 meeting in Italy.
Tuesday, July 7th 2009 - 11:16 UTC
Brazilian beef processor raises cattle slaughter capacity to 26.000 head

Brazilian corporation JBS SA, the world's biggest beef processor said on Monday it had raised its slaughtering and de-boning capacity in Brazil by around 25% through the leasing of five more plants.
Tuesday, July 7th 2009 - 10:29 UTC
Bolivia considering closing border with Argentina because of the flu

Bolivia is considering temporarily closing part of its extended border with Argentina, (773 kilometres long), because of the outbreak and quick spread of the A/H1N1 virus flu in that country, anticipated Health minister Ramiro Tapia over the weekend.
Tuesday, July 7th 2009 - 10:13 UTC
Uruguay’s June inflation 1.4% and 6.48% in last twelve months

Uruguay’s consumer price inflation rose 1.4% in June, the highest in the last twelve months, but was the lowest 2.82% for the first half of the year since 2005, according to the latest release from the country’s Statistics Office.
Tuesday, July 7th 2009 - 10:07 UTC
Corruption claims erode Lula da Silva’s control over the Senate

The Brazilian Senate --whose president Jose Sarney has been accused of corruption--, apparently has a secret bank account operating millions of US dollars and a private “bunker” for a few, with facilities for “intimate” dates, according to reports in the Sao Paulo and Brasilia press.
Tuesday, July 7th 2009 - 10:01 UTC
Possible first death of Norovirus on cruise vessel

A man has died and more than 150 people have taken ill on board a cruise liner berthed in Invergordon, Easter Ross, Scotland. The vomiting bug, norovirus, is thought to have taken hold on the Marco Polo, which is touring the UK and Ireland with about 800 passengers and 350 crew members.
Tuesday, July 7th 2009 - 09:46 UTC
First test for China’s Yuan as trade currency

China has begun a trial scheme that allows trade with its neighbours to be settled with its own currency the Yuan. Six Shanghai companies have signed contracts with counterparts in Hong Kong and Indonesia to settle deals in the currency.