Stories for February 2010

Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 02:23 UTC
Lula da Silva beefs up federal payroll with 46.000 new posts

The administration of Brazilian president Lula da Silva increased the federal payroll since 2003 with 64.000 new posts and is planning another 46.000 in this the last year of his two four-year mandate, according to government sources.
Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 02:18 UTC
US-China trade dispute escalates to include chicken wings and feet

China is to enforce anti-dumping duties on US chicken imports, accusing American poultry firms of exporting the meat at unfairly low prices. In just the latest in a series of trade disputes between the two countries, China's Commerce Department said the tariffs will start from 13 February.
Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 02:16 UTC
Fitch says there is “no risk of contagion” from Greek debt crisis

Euro-zone countries face no risk of “contagion” from the debt and deficit crises afflicting Greece, Portugal and Spain, the chairman of ratings agency Fitch said in an interview with Europe radio 1.
Monday, February 8th 2010 - 20:29 UTC
Bid to sell the Falkland Islands as gateway to Antarctica

Informal talks began this week on a proposal to market the Falkland Islands to tourists as the “Gateway to Antarctica”, according to a report from the Penguin News latest edition.
Monday, February 8th 2010 - 10:05 UTC
Costa Rica elects Chinchilla first woman president

Laura Chinchilla, a protege of Nobel peace laureate President Oscar Arias, won a landslide election victory in Costa Rica on Sunday to become the country's first woman elected president.
Monday, February 8th 2010 - 05:08 UTC
Russia displaces the US as main supplier of arms to Latinamerica

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a British research institute focusing on international security, revealed that Russia in 2009 became the main exporter of weapons to Latin America thanks to the purchases made by Venezuela, but also to Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Colombia.
Monday, February 8th 2010 - 05:05 UTC
Argentina’s strong man undergoes successful emergency surgery

Former Argentine president Nestor Kirchner, husband of the current President Cristina Kirchner, underwent successful emergency surgery on Sunday, the government news agency reported.
Monday, February 8th 2010 - 05:02 UTC
New Carrasco terminal among the “most beautiful airports in the world”

The new Uruguayan air terminal in Carrasco, inaugurated last November, has been included among fifteen of “the most beautiful airports in the world” according to the January edition of travel magazine “Travel+Leisure”.
Monday, February 8th 2010 - 04:59 UTC
A billion US dollars to purchase Piñera’s Lan airlines shares

Costa Verde Aeronautica SA, the holding company owned by Chile’s Cueto family, plans to raise 1 billion US dollars in a move analysts say will finance the purchase of Lan Airlines SA shares from President-elect Sebastian Piñera.
Monday, February 8th 2010 - 04:56 UTC
Climate change and higher levels of C02 making trees grow faster

A new study on trees and climate change, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found evidence that forests in the Eastern United States are growing faster than they have in the past 225 years.