Argentina

• Friday, February 9th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Nordkapp en route to Buenos Aires; “no traces of pollution”

  

  The Norwegian flagged Nordkapp which ran aground in the South Shetlands Islands at the end of January has caused no environmental damage and “no traces of pollution have been found at or around Deception Island” according to a release from the Norwegian Coastal Voyage cruise company.

• Thursday, February 8th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Credibility blow to Kirchner's price controls policy

  

  Argentine president Nestor Kirchner tried Thursday to disengage this week's rise in the country's risk rating and drop in sovereign bonds, from the controversy over the ousting of the head of the Statistics and Census Office (INDEC) responsible for calculating inflation.

• Wednesday, February 7th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Squid: good season kick off in Argentina

  

  Since the commencement of the squid harvest (Illex argentinus), this past 1 February, high performances of the resource have been registered in the area located south to the parallel 44° South.

• Wednesday, February 7th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Kirchner ousts Agriculture minister before meeting farmers

  

  Argentine president Nestor Kirchner named a new Agriculture and Livestock Secretary Wednesday, a day before a crucial meeting with farmers associations that have been bitterly complaining about the administration's current camp policies.

• Tuesday, February 6th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  “Pinguino or pinguina” ? Argentina's version of Clintons

  Argentina's first couple, a power pair often compared to Bill and Hillary Clinton, won't say whether it will be a his or hers candidacy in this year's presidential election.

• Tuesday, February 6th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina CFP set the maximum allowable catch at 2,500 tonnes for toothfish

  

  As a precautionary measure, the Fishery Federal Council (CFP) will establish a 2,500-tonnes maximum allowable catch (MAC) on toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) for the current year.

• Tuesday, February 6th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  ”Argentina top ten to live in'

  

  Argentina for the first time made it to the top ten club that examines the best countries to live in, with France leading for the second year running and war-torn Iraq remaining at the bottom, also for the second year running, according to the latest ranking from International Living magazine.

• Thursday, February 1st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina last year exported less honey but got higher revenue

  Argentina, which is constantly challenging China as the world's largest honey exporter, last year exported 99,000 tonnes of honey for 146 million, a decline of six percent in volume but an increase of 15 percent in revene reflecting higher prices for the product.

• Thursday, February 1st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina shuts border to Bolivian meat

  Argentina has suspended the import of all meat products from Bolivia in response to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, Senasa, the agricultural health and quality service, announced Tuesday.

• Thursday, February 1st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine pension fund reform proposal gets mixed marks

  

  A proposal by the Argentine government to allow some 11 million people to migrate from the private AFJPs pension funds to the state-run scheme has won widespread praise for the sake of freedom of choice, but also criticism, with observers telling MercoPress that it has been timed ahead of the October's presidential vote, aimed at “funding” the government even a step towards re-estatization.