Stories for March 30th 2010

Tuesday, March 30th 2010 - 23:00 UTC
Quake impact leaves Chilean farmers short of storage, cooling and irrigation

Chile’s annual fall harvest season continues apace, notwithstanding earthquake damage to Chile's roads, irrigation systems, electric grid, packing houses, and other infrastructure.
Tuesday, March 30th 2010 - 22:48 UTC
Senator McCain calls for troops to be deployed along Mexican border

The influential US Senator John McCain from Arizona sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano calling for the deployment of National Guard troops along the “southern border region” between the US and Mexico to help counter the growing violence from the drug cartels.
Tuesday, March 30th 2010 - 22:42 UTC
Mrs. Kirchner vows to lead “profound, cultural, diplomatic battle” to regain Malvinas

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner at the opening Tuesday of a photographic exhibition honouring the Malvinas women vowed before to lead “a profound, cultural, diplomatic and political battle on every front,” and to make use of “every resource made available by international law to regain the Malvinas Islands sovereignty.”
Tuesday, March 30th 2010 - 04:48 UTC
Chavez announces the discovery of a “super well” of natural gas

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced the discovery of a “super well” that shows an offshore field holds almost twice as much natural gas as originally estimated.
Tuesday, March 30th 2010 - 04:46 UTC
Argentine dockworkers strike expands; 5.000 trucks waiting to unload

Argentine dockworkers expanded the strike to eight terminals, mainly in the Greater Rosario port area, the heart of the country’s soy bean belt, demanding higher pay and improved working conditions. The conflict comes when Argentina, the world’s third exporter of the oil seed prepares to ship the latest crop.
Tuesday, March 30th 2010 - 04:44 UTC
Bolivia’s Morales expects to consolidate provincial power in Sunday’s election

Bolivia is in the last leg ahead of next Sunday’s governor election when president Evo Morales expects his party to keep control over seven of the nine provinces in dispute while the opposition will try to gain lost ground in recent votes.
Tuesday, March 30th 2010 - 04:39 UTC
Ideologue of “Chavez revolution” abandons “petty Bolivarian bourgeois” party

Venezuelan retired General Alberto Müller Rojas considered one of the ideologists of President Hugo Chavez “revolution” announced he was retiring from politics because the current Venezuelan “revolutionary process” is in a dreadful state.
Tuesday, March 30th 2010 - 04:34 UTC
Rio Tinto executives sentenced to lengthy jail terms for bribery by Chinese court

Four Rio Tinto executives have been found guilty of bribery and stealing secrets by a Chinese court and have all been handed lengthy jail terms. Australian Stern Hu was handed a 10-year sentence. Wang Yong was given 14 years, Liu Caikui seven years and Ge Minqiang eight years.
Tuesday, March 30th 2010 - 04:31 UTC
Lula da Silva unveils massive four year infrastructure program

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced Monday an 886 billion US dollars infrastructure investment plan that would be carried out by his chosen successor, Cabinet Chief Dilma Rousseff, should she win the October presidential election.
Tuesday, March 30th 2010 - 04:26 UTC
Aftermath of scandal: strict expenses rules and safeguards for British MPs

British Members of Parliament will not be allowed to buy taxpayer-funded second homes under new expenses rules after the election. Those with seats at least 20 miles or an hour from Westminster will be able to claim rent up to £1,450 a month - equivalent to a one-bed flat.