Stories for December 10th 2010

Friday, December 10th 2010 - 18:40 UTC
China posts record foreign trade in November, but fears of a “rough” 2011

Even when China's foreign trade hit a historic high in November, boosted by rising demand ahead of the Christmas shopping season, economists forecast a bumpy road next year.
Friday, December 10th 2010 - 18:32 UTC
IMF evaluates the spill-over impact of China’s growth for the rest of the world

Economic data suggest that a 1 percentage point increase in China’s growth rate sustained over five years means an extra 0.4 percentage point of growth for the rest of the world, two experts at the International Monetary Fund said after studying figures for the past two decades.
Friday, December 10th 2010 - 18:20 UTC
Chile begins construction of 1 MW solar energy plant to supply copper mine

Last December 2, a ceremonial first stone was laid to mark the start of construction of a photovoltaic solar plant near the northern Chilean city of Calama.
Friday, December 10th 2010 - 10:25 UTC
Falklands invites C-24 president to “balance” recent visit to Argentina

The Falkland Islands government has officially extended an invitation to the chairman of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization Ambassador (C 24), Donatus Keith St. Aimee to visit the South Atlantic Islands with the purpose of ‘balancing’ a recent similar invitation from Argentina and to defend the Falklands’ people right to exercise self-determination.
Friday, December 10th 2010 - 06:15 UTC
Russia’s Putin says Assange arrest shows the West has problems with democracy

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange shows the West has its own problems with democracy.
Friday, December 10th 2010 - 05:54 UTC
Lula da Silva supports Assange and asks what about freedom of expression?

Brazilian President Lula da Silva defended Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks.org website that published more than 250,000 of U.S. diplomatic cables sent to or from embassies around the world and asked where are those rabid defenders of freedom of expression.
Friday, December 10th 2010 - 04:31 UTC
Venezuela’s Mercosur incorporation hostage of Argentine/Paraguay conflict

Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo for the second time in a year withdrew the request from Congress for the approval of Venezuela’s incorporation as a full member of Mercosur. This leaves the issue for next year.
Friday, December 10th 2010 - 04:26 UTC
Most Chileans have a “poor” and “unhealthy” diet shows nutritional report

A study by the Catholic University of Chile and the Banmedical Foundation showed that 62% of Chileans were found to have a “poor diet” and 29% an “unhealthy” diet.
Friday, December 10th 2010 - 02:21 UTC
Brazil’s trade surplus down 40% in 2010 boosted by demand for imports

Brazil’s trade surplus this year should reach 16 billion US dollars, which is 40% below 2009, according to Foreign Trade Secretary, Welter Barral. He added it was too early to talk about 2011 targets, given the world scenario and “at this stage we can’t say if we are going to run a (trade) deficit next year”.
Friday, December 10th 2010 - 02:15 UTC
Infrastructure loan to improve living conditions in Rio do Janeiro’s favelas

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s second biggest city will receive a 150 million US dollars loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to improve living conditions in low-income neighborhoods, known as favelas.