Stories for January 2010

Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 12:17 UTC
According to Argentina’s two tier statistics system unemployment fell to 8.4%

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced Wednesday the unemployment rate had fallen from 9.1% to 8.4% in the last quarter of 2009.
Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 12:12 UTC
BHP Billiton confirms oil exploration commitment in Falklands’ waters

BHP Billiton Ltd., Australia’s biggest oil and gas producer, boosted its forecast for petroleum exploration spending by 33% because of an increase in drilling in the US Gulf of Mexico and offshore Australia.
Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 12:05 UTC
Pollutants from Asia affecting ozone levels along west coast of North America

Ozone levels over the west coast of North America are rising because of air streams carrying the pollutant from Asia, an international team of researchers says. The analysis of springtime ozone data collected since 1984 indicates the US may be unable to reach its Clean Air Act goals because of ozone emissions from overseas.
Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 07:03 UTC
New ball game in the US senate: Obama looses “super-majority”

US President Barack Obama called on Democratic lawmakers not to try to “jam” health-care legislation through Congress before newly elected Republican Senator Scott Brown is seated. The election of Senator Brown means the end of Obama’s “super majority” in the Upper House and comes on the first anniversary of the presidential inauguration.
Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 07:00 UTC
Aftershocks cause panic among Haitians and rescuers

A powerful aftershock sent Haitians screaming into the streets on Wednesday, collapsing buildings, cracking roads and adding to the trauma caused by the major quake eight days ago.
Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 06:56 UTC
Haiti Football Federation confirms 30 deaths and dozens missing

Thirty members of the Haitian Football Federation have been confirmed dead and dozens others are missing following the massive earthquake that rocked the country. This was confirmed by Caribbean Football Union vice-president Captain Horace Burrell in a report sent to FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, following an assessment carried out last weekend.
Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 06:53 UTC
China freezes liquidity and sends global markets tumbling

Global shares have fallen amid concerns that China's plans to reduce lending by its banks will hurt the worldwide economy. The falls came after Chinese state media said authorities had ordered commercial banks to stop lending for the rest of January.
Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 06:51 UTC
“The best place to mine in South America (Chile) just got better”

International mining groups this week were effusive in their support of Chile’s newly elected president Sebastian Piñera, a billionaire businessman with substantial holdings in Lan Airline, Chilevision (a TV station) and Colo Colo (a popular soccer team).
Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 06:46 UTC
Brazil inaugurates first commercial ethanol-fuelled power plant

Brazil inaugurated this week the world’s first ethanol-fuelled power plant in the state of Minas Gerais. The flex-fuel turbine, which was converted from running solely on natural gas, began operating on December 31 and is currently in its optimization and testing phase.
Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 06:44 UTC
Seismologists’ call to prepare for a “great earthquake” in Western Sumatra

The earthquake which rocked Padang, western Sumatra in September last year killing more than 1000 people was not the 'great earthquake' which earth scientists are waiting for. In fact, it may have made the next massive earthquake more likely.