Stories for December 11th 2010

Saturday, December 11th 2010 - 06:17 UTC
Brazil’s consumer inflation 0.83% in November, highest monthly level in 5 years

Brazil's consumer inflation (IPCA) reached 0.83% in November, the highest monthly level in more than five years. November 2009 the index was 0.41% and last October 0.75%. The pace of price rises has not been this fast since April 2005, when it reached 0.87%..
Saturday, December 11th 2010 - 06:08 UTC
Torture a routine practice for authorities across the globe, says ACAT

In Latin America the heritage of decades of military dictatorship means that “recourse to violent methods, notably torture, remains widespread among the security forces”, says a report from the Paris based Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT).-.
Saturday, December 11th 2010 - 06:01 UTC
Mercosur summit threatened by Argentine boycott on Paraguayan foreign trade

A Mercosur internal conflict involving Argentina and Paraguay which is conditioning the coming presidential summit in Brazil and has again suspended a vote for Venezuela’s final incorporation to the group, seems to have escalated in the last 24 hours.
Saturday, December 11th 2010 - 05:52 UTC
China increases banks’ reserves, third time in five weeks, to counter inflation

China increased banks reserve requirements for the third time in five weeks to counter the threat from inflation after November’s lending and trade surplus topped analysts’ estimates.
Saturday, December 11th 2010 - 00:44 UTC
Glaciers in Chile and Argentina are melting at the fastest rate

Glaciers in Chile, Argentina and Alaska are melting at the fastest rate, according to a report compiled by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and presented this week at the UN climate change talks in Cancún, Mexico.
Saturday, December 11th 2010 - 00:34 UTC
Brazil’s Embraer moves into the defence and security industry

Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer on Friday unveiled a new subsidiary to focus solely on the defence and security industry, in a further move beyond from its core civil aviation business. The company said in a statement its new Embraer Defence and Security unit will be headed by Chief Financial Officer Luiz Carlos Aguiar.
Saturday, December 11th 2010 - 00:30 UTC
Barcelona signs £ 125 million commercial shirt-sponsorship deal with Qatar

One of Spain’s two most popular and successful football clubs, Barcelona has signed their first ever commercial shirt sponsorship deal after agreeing a record £125m contract with the Qatar Foundation.
Saturday, December 11th 2010 - 00:28 UTC
Chinese company takes over Occidental petroleum assets in Argentina

China Petrochemical Corp, parent of Sinopec Corp, agreed to buy all of US-based Occidental Petroleum Corp's oil and gas assets in Argentina for 2.45 billion US dollars, marking the energy giant's first foray into the upstream market in Argentina.