International

• Wednesday, December 30th 2009 - 09:52 UTC

  Obama: “a systemic failure” by US intelligence which is “totally unacceptable”

  

  A “systemic failure” by US intelligence allowed the alleged terrorist behind the Christmas Day airliner bomb plot to board the aircraft despite warnings about his extremist views, US President Barack Obama said on Tuesday.

• Wednesday, December 30th 2009 - 09:48 UTC

  Companies listed in the London Stock Exchange raised record £ 82.5 billion

  

  Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) have raised a record £82.5bn from investors in 2009. The LSE said investors had been keen to take up offers of new shares despite continued concerns over the economy.

• Tuesday, December 29th 2009 - 12:13 UTC

  China poised to become world’s second largest economy in 2010

  

  China is expected to become in 2010 the world’s second largest economy displacing Japan according to economic forecasts from Beijing’s Statistics Office and reported in the China Daily.

• Tuesday, December 29th 2009 - 12:12 UTC

  First signs Beijing is reassessing bank loans and interest rates

  

  China admitted fears about increasing inflation, resulting from the strong stimuli program, and also cautioned that Beijing will not yield to foreign pressures to let the Yuan appreciate.

• Tuesday, December 29th 2009 - 08:36 UTC

  Massive stranding of whales in several New Zealand’s beaches

  

  More than 120 beached whales have died in two separate incidents in New Zealand, officials have said. Twenty one pilot whales that were beached on the North Island of New Zealand have been buried.

• Tuesday, December 29th 2009 - 08:07 UTC

  Shifting global climate and temperatures has many species on the move

  

  From beetles to barnacles, pikas to pine warblers, many species are already on the move in response to shifting climate regimes. But how fast will they -- and their habitats -- have to move to keep pace with global climate change over the next century?

• 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.