International

• Thursday, January 15th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Chinese slowdown, serious risk for the global economy

  A severe economic slowdown in China is one of the biggest risks faced by the world this year, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has warned. The WEF report said a hard landing for China's economy could create domestic social tensions and put stress on the global financial system.

• Thursday, January 15th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Punta Arenas British Honorary Consul honoured with MBE

  

  Two of Britain's Honorary Consuls in Chile have been honoured by Her Majesty the Queen in this year's New Year's Honours List. Iain Hardy, Honorary Consul in Valparaiso and John Rees, Honorary Consul in Punta Arenas, were each awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

• Thursday, January 15th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  International Year of Astronomy to honour Galileo

  

  A large cluster of astronomers have been present in Paris this week at the official launch of the International Year of Astronomy, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said.

• Wednesday, January 14th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  China's imports dropped a record 21.3% in December

  

  China's exports and imports have suffered their biggest decline in a decade. Exports in December were down 2.8% from the same time last year, a bigger decline than November's 2.2% drop, while imports were down 21.3% (17.9% in November), the China Daily said.

• Wednesday, January 14th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  The importance, for Italian bankers, of not knowing English

  

  Italian banks were saved from the US subprime mortgage originated crisis that has become global because they barely speak or understand English confessed the Italian Minister of Economy Giulio Tremonti during an interview published this week in the French newspaper Les Echos and picked up by global news agencies

• Tuesday, January 13th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Court approves UK's “super bank”: Lloyds TSB + HBOS

  The formation of a UK “super bank” has been rubber-stamped with a court giving its approval for Lloyds TSB's takeover of HBOS. The Court of Session in Edinburgh gave the green light to the deal after a legal hearing lasting all day.

• Tuesday, January 13th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  IMF needs another 150 billion to aid emerging markets

  The International Monetary Funds may need up to 150 billion US dollars in additional funds to assist emerging markets and poorer countries suffering through the intensifying global economic slump, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said.

• Tuesday, January 13th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Boiling kettles, Google search and carbon dioxide

  

  Two search requests on the internet website Google produce “as much carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle”, according to a Harvard University academic. US physicist Alex Wissner-Gross claims that a typical Google search on a desktop computer produces about 7g CO2.

• Tuesday, January 13th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Pesticides and chemicals ban controversy in the EU

  

  The European Parliament has voted to tighten rules on pesticide use and ban at least 22 chemicals deemed harmful to human health. The UK government, the Conservatives and the National Farmers' Union all oppose the new rules, saying they could hit yields and increase food prices. The rules have not yet been approved by the 27 member states' governments.

• Tuesday, January 13th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Spain's recession hits remittances from immigrants

  

  Immigrants' remittances from Spain to home countries totalled 1.95 billion Euros in the first three quarters of 2008, down 7% from the same period a year ago, reported the Banco de España.