Stories for December 2010

Monday, December 13th 2010 - 00:58 UTC
EC begins crucial discussions on fisheries and agricultural policies reforms

The European Commission Agriculture and Fisheries Council meets Monday in Brussels to begin the discussion process of the Common Agriculture Policy proposals recently set out. In the fisheries chapter the Council is expected to reach a political agreement on two regulations fixing the fishing opportunities for 2011 regarding certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable
Monday, December 13th 2010 - 00:43 UTC
New-car sales in China expected to reach a world record 18 million in 2010

More new automobiles are expected to be sold in China this year than have ever been sold in any nation ever in a calendar year, beating the current record of 17.4 million units from 2000 in the U.S.
Monday, December 13th 2010 - 00:25 UTC
China promises “healthy and stable” economic development in 2011

China will enhance and improve macro-economic regulation to ensure stable and healthy economic development in 2011, said a statement released Sunday in Beijing after the annual Central Economic Work Conference.
Sunday, December 12th 2010 - 23:51 UTC
Brazil successfully launches and recovers rocket to test micro-gravity experiments

Brazil announced over the weekend it has successfully launched a medium sized rocket developed in the country which included several micro-gravity test instruments all of which were rescued from the sea following an 18 minutes flight.
Sunday, December 12th 2010 - 23:41 UTC
Picture evidence of four kilometres retraction (in 80 years) of glacier in Patagonia

The Argentine Patagonian glacier Ameghino has contracted almost four kilometres over the last eighty years because of global warming according to evidence from Greenpeace.
Sunday, December 12th 2010 - 23:31 UTC
Saudi’s 70/80 US dollars a barrel stance prevails at OPEC meeting in Ecuador

Leading OPEC producer Saudi Arabia said it still favoured a 70-80 US dollars price range for oil, a restatement of a two-year-old policy that will be welcomed by consumer nations worried that rising oil prices may get out of control and hamper global economic recovery.
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.