Stories for April 2nd 2009
G-20 agrees on 1.1 trillion USD and tougher rules to tackle global crisis
Leaders of the world's largest economies have reached an agreement to tackle the global financial crisis with measures worth 1.1 trillion US dollars.
Euro zone rate lowered to 1.25% and possibly to 1% in May
The European Central Bank said Thursday it would lower its key lending rate a quarter of a percentage point to 1.25%, effective April 8. It is the sixth time the ECB has lowered its key rate since October 2008, when it stood at 4.25%, as it tries to boost economic activity.
Mrs. Kirchner approach to Malvinas issue infuriates Jewish community
Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner strong lobbying for support from the Arab League in its dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands is proving to be a short lived pyrrhic victory since she involved Argentina in the Palestine question and infuriated the Jewish community.
Argentina mourns Alfonsin more revered in death than in life
Thousands of Argentines have marched and thousands more were queuing Wednesday night to render their respects to former Argentine president Raul Alfonsin, who died on Tuesday evening and has been enshrined as the man who following the defeat of the Argentine dictatorship in the Falkland Islands conflict, helped start in 1983 the longest period of electoral democracy in this politically turbulent country.
Huge population of rare dolphins discovered in South Asia
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has announced the discovery of a huge population of rare dolphins in South Asia—but warns that the population is threatened by climate change and fishing nets.
Brazilian inmates use pigeons to smuggle cell phones
Brazilian police have discovered inmates using carrier pigeons to smuggle cell phones onto a prison farm in the south eastern state of Sao Paulo.
Tepid isolated signs of recovery from Brazil
Brazil’s latest statistics revealed some encouraging numbers. The foreign trade surplus in March was 1.77 billion US dollars, the same as the February surplus and slightly higher than forecasted. Although expected, industrial production rose 1.8% in February over January boosted by a slight recovery in credit availability and the automotive sector.
Mrs. Kirchner’s Malvinas Veteran Day message from London
On the 27th anniversary of the Argentine landing in Falklands/Malvinas, which triggered the South Atlantic conflict in 1982, the Argentine government will commemorate Thursday April 2 the Day of the Veteran and the Fallen in the Malvinas War.
Misleading opinion polls confuse Uruguayan primary election
Two public opinion polls released this week ahead of Uruguay’s June’s primary election when political parties must choose their presidential candidates virtually coincide in the standing of the different hopefuls. However they differ dramatically regarding the overall vote: ruling coalition versus the opposition.
FAO report says over-fishing putting sea cucumbers at risk
Sea cucumber stocks are under intense fishing pressure throughout the world according to a new FAO report. Most high value commercial species have been depleted in the African and Indian ocean regions.
