International

• Tuesday, December 29th 2009 - 07:26 UTC

  Uruguayan organic beef at Shanghai’s world expo next year

  

  Uruguayan organic beef directly from the country’s natural pastures will be available at a restaurant catered by Uruguayans at the Shanghai World Expo next year.

• Tuesday, December 29th 2009 - 07:14 UTC

  Korea wins 40 billion USD mega-project to build nuclear plants in UAE

  

  A South Korean consortium has been awarded a contract worth an estimated 40 billion US dollars to build four nuclear power plants in the United Arab Emirates. The group, led by the Korea Electric Power Corp (Kepco), beat bids from a US-Japanese group and a French firm.

• Sunday, December 27th 2009 - 06:40 UTC

  Countdown for 2010 Argentina-Chile Dakar rally which takes off Jan first

  

  The countdown for the 2010 Argentina-Chile Dakar rally has begun with the arrival in Buenos Aires of all the participants and the over 400 vehicles registered for the grueling competition that will extend until January 17 in some of the most challenging terrains in Argentina and neighboring Chile, including climbing the mighty Andes cordillera .

• Sunday, December 27th 2009 - 06:07 UTC

  UK Nigerian student allegedly responsible for Detroit’s “attempted terrorist act”

  

  A Nigerian student reported to have links to al-Qaeda is being questioned after an attempted act of terrorism on a plane arriving in the city of Detroit, according to US officials.

• Saturday, December 26th 2009 - 13:30 UTC

  Ecuador begins legal actions against Air Comet; thousands still stranded

  

  The Ecuadorian government filed an appeal against Spain's Air Comet for alleged fraud and requested board directors be put under preventive custody, announced Migration Ministry Alexis Rivas during a press conference in Quito.

• Saturday, December 26th 2009 - 13:13 UTC

  Royal Christmas speech dedicated to troops serving in Afghanistan

  

  Queen Elizabeth II used her Christmas speech to express sadness at the death toll among British troops in Afghanistan. The monarch offered her sympathy to the families of the 106 service personnel who have died this year.

• Friday, December 25th 2009 - 16:13 UTC

  Newsweek predicts death of Fidel Castro and coup in Venezuela

  

  Next year will see the death of the veteran Cuban leader Fidel Castro and the fall of Venezuelan President following a coup, according to the predictions from the latest edition of US magazine Newsweek.

• Friday, December 25th 2009 - 15:54 UTC

  Australia again threatens Japan with legal action for whaling

  

  The Australian government insists it will take international legal action against Japan if it doesn't stop whaling. And it will send surveillance boats to the Southern Ocean to monitor the Japan's annual whaling hunt if it needs to mount a legal case

• Friday, December 25th 2009 - 15:43 UTC

  Le Monde names Brazil’s Lula da Silva as “Man of the Year”

  

  French daily Le Monde named Brazilian President Lula da Silva “Man of the Year” for “personifying a giant”. It is the first time in its history the French publication has made this designation.

• Thursday, December 24th 2009 - 09:26 UTC

  Minutes show Bank of England unanimous vote on December decisions

  

  All nine members of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to hold interest rates at its December meeting. Minutes from the meeting also showed that the MPC was unanimous in voting to maintain the £200bn quantitative easing (QE), or asset buying, programme.