Stories for April 2008

Monday, April 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Lula da Silva blames farm subsidies and oil for food crisis

Brazilian president Lula da Silva, currently visiting Ghana, blamed rising oil prices for the current global food crisis, saying that bio-fuels had nothing to do with the problem, as some have suggested. He insisted escalating oil prices are pushing up freight costs, which in turn affects world food prices.
Sunday, April 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Argentina; Smoke cloud engulfs Buenos Aires for 5th day

President Cristina Fernandez surveyed more than 200 raging brush fires by air, vowing to prosecute anyone who lit the blazes that have sent smoke billowing across the capital, clouding highways and grounding jetliners.
Sunday, April 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Paraguay cracks six decades of iron fist one party rule

Former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo won a historic victory in Paraguay's Sunday presidential election, signaling the demise of more than six decades of one-party hegemonic rule in one of South America's poorest countries.
Sunday, April 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Lorca to return to Chile as PSV clinch championship for the 21st time

Chilean international Juan Lorca will return to Colo Colo as Vitesse Arnhem can not afford to buy the player for the reported €2 millions (euros) that the Chilean club are asking. Lorca's one year loan deal has expired and although he would like to stay in Holland no other club has indicated their intention to sign him.
Saturday, April 19th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
UK's second bank shareholders asked to inject cash

Britain's second largest bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, is to ask shareholders for about £10 billion of extra cash to improve its financial position, reports BBC.
Saturday, April 19th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Citigroup losses: when bad news becomes good news

New York based Citigroup has suffered a second massive loss and is cutting 9,000 jobs as the credit crisis continues to take its toll on the biggest US bank.
Saturday, April 19th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Choking Buenos Aires with no relief unless weather changes

With no forecasts of change, smoke blanketing Buenos Aires and extending to neighboring Uruguay has thickened forcing local authorities to close airports, major highways and declare a yellow alert in many hospitals.
Saturday, April 19th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
“Puerto Deseado” surveying north Falklands' waters

The Argentine Navy scientific research vessel Puerto Deseado set to sea last Thursday towards the Falkland Islands to conclude collecting data and double checking on previous information referred to the outer limits of the continental shelf, contemplated in the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, reports the Argentine press.
Friday, April 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
March global surface temperature among highest on record

The global surface (land and ocean surface) temperature was the second warmest on record for March in the 129-year record, 0.71Â° C above the 20th century mean of 12.7Â° C. The warmest March on record, 1.33Â° C occurred in 2002.
Friday, April 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Chilean farmed salmon sector in dire need of restructuring

Guaranteeing a sustainable salmon industry in Chile requires reorganizing the industry and allowing for the relocation of concessions to larger management areas, said the president of AquaChile company, Victor Hugo Puchi.