Stories for March 30th 2008

Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Lights out in climate change event

Sydney was the first major city to begin “Earth Hour”, when at 2000 (0900 GMT), lights went out on landmarks like the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
No end in sight to Andean conflict

President Rafael Correa's outrage over Colombia's cross-border raid on a rebel camp in Ecuador has improved his popularity, strengthening his chances of gaining approval for constitutional reforms later this year.
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
US Fed to be grilled over massive support to financial system

United States Federal Reserve will make a further 100 billion US dollars available to major banks in April, trying to ease concerns about a global credit crunch. The sum, offered across two auctions, is in addition to 260 billion US dollars provided in short-term loans to the end of March.

Other unorthodox steps include the Fed allowing investment banks to borrow from it directly, previously only possible for commercial banks.
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Argentina's trade surplus soars with commodity prices

Argentina's trade surplus in February jumped 23.5% over a year ago reaching 982 million US dollars, but lower than expected because of a surge in imports according to the latest report from the Institute of Statistics and Census, Indec.
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Rice consumption forecasted to outpace production in 2008

World consumption of rice continues to rise and outpace production and the trend will continue in 2008, bringing with it a host of factors that will impact rice producers said Carl Brothers senior vice president of Riceland Foods.
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Argentina: 30.4% (10.8 m) live below the poverty line

Higher food and fuel prices plunged 1.3 million Argentines below the poverty line in 2007, which means the income of 10.8 million Argentines is not enough to cover the costs of the basic food basket, according to a paper from the Buenos Aires think tank Sociedad de Estudios Laborales, SEL.
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
IMF Board supports overhaul and shift in voting power

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommended on Friday an overhaul of the institution's governance structure that will realign quota and voting shares of member countries with their relative weight and role in the global economy thus enhancing the participation and voice of emerging market and low-income countries in the 185-member IMF.
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Vietnam limits rice exports; China boosts pay to farmers

Vietnam became the latest rice-producing country to limit exports of the grain and China announced on Friday higher payments to farmers both rice and wheat in an attempt to boost crop production and cool surging inflate
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
First time Uruguay's coalition looses lead to opposition

The latest public opinion poll to be released in Uruguay shows that if national elections were to be held this Sunday, the sum of votes from opposition parties would be just enough to defeat the Socialist oriented ruling coalition.
Sunday, March 30th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
FIDAE 2008, largest aerospace fair opens in Santiago

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet will inaugurate Monday the fifteenth edition of the International Air & Space Fair, FIDAE, Latinamerica largest air show and one of the leading exhibitions of the industry in the world.