Stories for December 2010

Saturday, December 18th 2010 - 19:04 UTC
Fiat targeting a production of over a million cars in Brazil

Fiat announced this week that it plans to invest 3 billion Real (approx. 1.7 billion USD) to build a second plant in Brazil, the carmaker’s No. 2 market after its native Italy.
Saturday, December 18th 2010 - 19:03 UTC
China targeting economic growth of 8% and 4% inflation for 2011

The Chinese government is targeting economic growth of around 8% and inflation of around 4% next year, state television reported this week, citing Zhang Ping, the head of the National Development and Reform Commission.
Saturday, December 18th 2010 - 18:58 UTC
Full reimbursement for ‘Brilliance of the Seas’ Mediterranean cruise passengers

The nearly 2,060 Royal Caribbean “Brilliance of the Seas” passengers who endured a horrifying early morning in the Mediterranean won't be paying a dime for the experience. “The captain announced a full refund for all guests as a result of the 'unfortunate incident”, posted Cruise Critic member Lifelong Cruiser, who was onboard.
Saturday, December 18th 2010 - 18:53 UTC
Royal Caribbean sweeps with cruise industry Travel Weekly awards

Miami-based Royal Caribbean swept half a dozen categories in the Travel Weekly awards, including the top spot for “cruise line, overall” as well as “cruise line, domestic” and “cruise line, Caribbean.” Royal Caribbean also won in the category of “cruise line, sales and service,” and the line's much-promoted new Oasis of the Seas swept the categories of “cruise ship, rookie” and “cruise ship, overall.”
Saturday, December 18th 2010 - 18:47 UTC
Satellite data provide new way to monitor groundwater in agricultural regions

When you dive into that salad full of lettuce grown in the United States West, there’s a good chance you are enjoying the product of irrigation from an underground water source. These hidden groundwater systems are precious resources that need careful management, but regulatory groups have a hard time monitoring them, owing to a lack of accurate data.
Saturday, December 18th 2010 - 18:39 UTC
Cars and construction spur Argentina industrial production 12.5% in November

Argentina's industrial production grew more than expected in November, on the back of big gains in automobile and construction materials output. Industrial production last month rose 12.5% on the year, and 4.1% in seasonally adjusted terms from October, the national statistics agency, Indec, reported Friday.
Saturday, December 18th 2010 - 18:30 UTC
Dragon and Elephant: complicated neighbourhood

*By Sameer Jafri - Year 2010 marks sixty years of diplomatic relationship between India and China. Though the relations between the two go back to ancient times, the period since 1950 till present is mainly fraught with boundary dispute, which also led to a short-lived war in 1962. But in recent times, both sides have successfully attempted to normalize the bilateral relationship, mainly driven by the mounting bilateral trade.
Saturday, December 18th 2010 - 13:24 UTC
Mapuche friendly cardinal named Archbishop of Santiago de Chile

The former archbishop of Concepción, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, has been named as the new archbishop of Chile’s capital Santiago. He will replace cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa.
Saturday, December 18th 2010 - 09:08 UTC
Fourteen presidents confirmed for Dilma Rousseff’s ceremony January first

At least fourteen presidents, including Colombia’s Juan Manuel Santos and Venezuela’ Hugo Chavez, and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have confirmed they will be present next January first in Brasilia when Dilma Rousseff takes office as Brazil’s first woman president.
Saturday, December 18th 2010 - 09:02 UTC
UK, France, Germany join forces to freeze EU budget until end of the decade

British Prime Minister David Cameron has joined forces with France and Germany to demand a real-terms freeze in the European Union budget until the end of the decade.