International

• Thursday, January 21st 2010 - 06:44 UTC

  Seismologists’ call to prepare for a “great earthquake” in Western Sumatra

  

  The earthquake which rocked Padang, western Sumatra in September last year killing more than 1000 people was not the 'great earthquake' which earth scientists are waiting for. In fact, it may have made the next massive earthquake more likely.

• Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 09:14 UTC

  Jessica sails past the Falklands greeted by an RAF Typhoon fighter

  

  The aerial visitors keep on coming for Australia’s Jessica Watson, who has now sailed past the Falkland Islands in her bid to become the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted, around the world.

• Wednesday, January 20th 2010 - 09:08 UTC

  EU population totalled 501 million on January first

  

  On January first 2010, the 27 European Union member states crossed the threshold of 500 million inhabitants “for the first time,” announced the French statistics institute INSEE, on 19 January. The precise number is 501.26 million.

• 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.