Stories for January 12th 2012

Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 21:52 UTC
FAO Food prices index in spite of mild drop, reached highest average in 2011

Food prices fell in December 2011 with the FAO Food Price Index dropping 2.4%, or five points from November, FAO said on Thursday. At its new level of 211 points, the Index was 11.3% (27 points) below its peak in February 2011.
Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 21:48 UTC
ICANN opens registry for new generic top-level domains; application fee 185.000 dollars

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has begun accepting applications for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). Currently, there are 22 top-level domain endings, such as .com, .info and .org.
Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 21:31 UTC
Argentina and IMF moving closer, admit holding regular bilateral contact

Speaking at a press conference from Washington DC on Thursday, IMF acting director of External Relations Gerry Rice said the organization’s directors “will meet in late January or early February to analyze the progress made in Argentina’s statistics”.
Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 21:28 UTC
ECB says flood of ‘cheap money’ helping the Euro zone banking system

The European Central Bank's flood of cheap three-year money is helping the Euro zone's banking system substantially and supporting confidence in the bloc's economy which is showing some signs of stabilisation, president Mario Dragui said on Thursday.
Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 21:21 UTC
Argentine industry ‘under risk with new ‘super-license’ imports’ system

While Argentina’s Mercosur trade partners have adopted a cautious attitude regarding the latest measures that make it more cumbersome and bureaucratic to sell to Argentina, the country’s manufacturers and importers have warned of the consequences and called for a more balanced approach to the issue.
Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 18:12 UTC
Nicaragua’s Ortega condemned killing of Gaddafi and offered a prayer for Hussein

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega lashed out at Israel and condemned the killing of former Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi while being sworn into office this week alongside Iran and Venezuela presidents.
Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 18:10 UTC
Iranian president from Cuba announces the “decay of the capitalist system”

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blasted capitalism during a speech at Cuba's University of Havana on the third leg of a trip to highlight friendship with Latin American allies, most of them at odds with Washington's.
Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 14:28 UTC
Chinese company to purchase world’s fourth largest uranium deposit in Namibia

Namibia's competition commission said on Wednesday it had cleared a Chinese nuclear company to take over an Australian mining firm with rights to the world's fourth-largest uranium deposit.
Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 14:12 UTC
Uruguay 2011 beef exports dropped 8% in volume, lowest since 2004

Uruguay beef exports last year dropped 8% in volume but soared 18% in value because of higher international prices and fewer cattle. However the volume was the lowest since 2004 and confirms a decreasing tendency since 2006, according to the latest figures released by the government.
Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 12:32 UTC
Chile ratifies its position and denies existence of a Malvinas blockade

Chile ratified this week that vessels flying the Malvinas flag will continue to be barred from Chilean ports and that the country’s position relative to the issue has not changed and denies the existence of a blockade. A brief statement from the Chilean Foreign Affairs ministry indirectly refers to the latest statement by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague.