Stories for January 20th 2010

Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 12:49 UTC
Lula da Silva announces campaign to promote protégé Dilma Rousseff

With less that a year for presidential elections Brazilian leader Lula da Silva announced a spree of “public works inaugurations” until April, with the purpose of promoting the candidacy of his cabinet chief Dilma Rousseff.
Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 12:41 UTC
Cruise industry joins relief effort by continuing to visit unaffected Haiti resorts

Luxury cruise ships will continue to dock as normal at an idyllic resort in northern Haiti despite the deadly earthquake a week ago that devastated the Caribbean nation, a cruise company said Tuesday.
Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 12:38 UTC
Brazil promises to find killers of journalist and compensates family

The Inter American Press Association IAPA praised Governor Jaques Wagner from the Brazilian state of Bahia for the enactment of legislation which provides for payment to the widow and children of journalist Manoel Leal de Oliveira murdered in 1998.
Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 12:16 UTC
Mrs. Kirchner cancels trip to China: claims she can’t trust Vice-president

Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced Tuesday during a press conference at the Government House that she suspended her business trip to China because she does not trust in Vice-President Julio Cobos, and accused him of trying to “block” the decisions of the Executive Branch.
Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 09:14 UTC
Jessica sails past the Falklands greeted by an RAF Typhoon fighter

The aerial visitors keep on coming for Australia’s Jessica Watson, who has now sailed past the Falkland Islands in her bid to become the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted, around the world.
Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 09:08 UTC
EU population totalled 501 million on January first

On January first 2010, the 27 European Union member states crossed the threshold of 500 million inhabitants “for the first time,” announced the French statistics institute INSEE, on 19 January. The precise number is 501.26 million.
Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 09:06 UTC
Argentine president travels to China to boost trade and cooperation

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner will visit China next week as the country is in the middle of a controversy with Congress over a debt repayment plan which would appeal to Central bank resources but has been frozen by the courts.
Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 09:03 UTC
The process to keep Japan’s flag carrier alive has began, says minister

Japan Airlines is to slash about 15,700 jobs and receive an 8 billion USD lifeline as part of turnaround efforts after filing for bankruptcy protection. The collapse of JAL, Asia’s top carrier was widely expected after it struggled with the aviation downturn and a debt burden of more than 25 billion USD.
Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 09:00 UTC
Marbled chocolate: Kraft Foods takes over Cadbury; job losses anticipated

Job losses are “an inevitability” at Cadbury after its takeover by US giant Kraft Foods, the UK firm's chairman has confirmed to the BBC. Without estimating how many positions would be affected, Roger Carr said jobs would go at Cadbury's head office in Uxbridge, London.
Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 08:55 UTC
Chile and China make huge investments to increase copper production

Chile’s state-owned mining company, Codelco, last week announced a 1.9 billion US dollars project to develop a subterranean mine at its Chuquicamata opencast mine facility in Chile’s northern Atacama region (region III).