International

• Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 09:03 UTC

  The process to keep Japan’s flag carrier alive has began, says minister

  

  Japan Airlines is to slash about 15,700 jobs and receive an 8 billion USD lifeline as part of turnaround efforts after filing for bankruptcy protection. The collapse of JAL, Asia’s top carrier was widely expected after it struggled with the aviation downturn and a debt burden of more than 25 billion USD.

• Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 09:00 UTC

  Marbled chocolate: Kraft Foods takes over Cadbury; job losses anticipated

  

  Job losses are “an inevitability” at Cadbury after its takeover by US giant Kraft Foods, the UK firm's chairman has confirmed to the BBC. Without estimating how many positions would be affected, Roger Carr said jobs would go at Cadbury's head office in Uxbridge, London.

• Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 08:55 UTC

  Chile and China make huge investments to increase copper production

  

  Chile’s state-owned mining company, Codelco, last week announced a 1.9 billion US dollars project to develop a subterranean mine at its Chuquicamata opencast mine facility in Chile’s northern Atacama region (region III).

• Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 07:04 UTC

  UK December inflation jumps to 2.9%, biggest rise in a single month

  

  Inflation in the United Kingdom jumped at a record rate in December, official figures have shown. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) hit 2.9% last month - much higher than expected by the City - compared with just 1.9% in November.

• Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 06:59 UTC

  E-Clear-Flyglobespan collapse: £35 million “no longer there”

  

  E-Clear, the company responsible for online ticket sales at the failed Scottish airline Flyglobespan, has been placed into administration. Flyglobespan also had the UK Ministry of Defence contract for the air bridge between Brize Norton and MPA in the Falkland Islands.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2010 - 13:40 UTC

  IMF warns it’s too early to withdraw stimulus packages

  

  International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said it’s too early for policy makers to withdraw stimulus that’s driving the global recovery.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2010 - 13:35 UTC

  UK has a decade of economic pain ahead, warns leading economic forecaster

  

  The UK faces a decade of economic pain after years of splurging on credit, a leading economic forecaster has warned. The Ernst & Young ITEM Club said the economy faced stagnation unless exports received a boost.

• Monday, January 18th 2010 - 13:33 UTC

  Former world champion Carlos Sainz claims first Dakar rally in Buenos Aires

  

  Spain’s Carlos Sainz claimed his first Dakar Rally victory after finishing second in the 14th and final stage which ended Sunday in the Argentine capital. The former world rally champion finished the race 2min 12sec ahead of Volkswagen team-mate Nasser al-Attiyah, who won the leg from San Rafael to Buenos Aires.

• Monday, January 18th 2010 - 11:44 UTC

  Australian aboriginal leaders to ask Prince William for remains of local warrior

  

  Australian aboriginal elders will ask Prince William to help them find the decapitated head of the great Aboriginal warrior, Pemulwuy and return it to their homeland.

• Monday, January 18th 2010 - 11:42 UTC

  The seven kilos leg of an Iberico ham plus DNA certificate for £ 1.800

  

  The world's most expensive ham has gone on sale, complete with its own DNA certificate as a proof of authenticity. The leg of Iberico ham, which weighs seven kilos, is on sale at the food hall in Selfridges in London's Oxford Street.