
Capital flight in Argentina climbed during the second quarter, with net outflows of 4.279 billion US dollars from the non-financial private sector, according to Friday’s report from Indec.

Argentina's GDP fell 0.8% in the second quarter compared to a year ago, the first time in six years, but accumulates a 0.6% raise in the first half of the year, according to a Friday release from the national statistics bureau, Indec.

Argentina’s Economy Minister Amado Boudou made the official presentation Thursday of the 2010 budget before the Lower House of Congress, in which he estimated that the economy would grow 2.5% in the upcoming fiscal year, with retail prices in the range of 7% and the primary budget surplus 2.7%. of GDP.

Argentina plans to reach an agreement with holders of the country's defaulted debt in an effort to return to international lending markets, according to a draft of the 2010 budget submitted to Congress this week.

“The Kirchners are lefties, but what a left, mamma mia, what a gang!” and Argentina is a country “of hysteric, mad, paranoiac reactions”. The comments belong to Uruguay’s ruling coalition presidential candidate, Jose Mujica and whom opinion polls show him comfortably ahead for next October’s election.

Argentina formally accepted Wednesday apologies from the Spanish government which admitted having committed a “protocol error” on allowing the presence of a delegation from the Falkland Islands in an international fisheries sustainability conference, reports Efe, the Spanish government news agency quoting the head of Argentina’s Fisheries Department Norberto Yauhar.

In spite of the global slowdown, the cruise industry in South America seems to be steaming ahead according to the latest estimates from Buenos Aires Port, which for the coming 2009/2010 season is expecting 143 calls.

Argentina told the International Court of Justice Monday that Uruguayan pollution of a border river was a grave infringement of Argentinean rights. Argentina and Uruguay have been wrangling for years over a giant pulp mill sited on the Uruguay River, which divides the two South American nations.

Almost 50 dead pilot whales were found stranded Sunday on a beach in the Argentine Patagonia province of Chubut. The cause of the stranding at Bahía Bustamante, and later death, remain a mystery, according to the regional press.

Argentina begins Monday a round of public hearings before the International Court of The Hague and will be arguing against Uruguay’s alleged unilateral decision to allow the construction of a pulp mill on a jointly managed river and which has been at the heart of a long standing litigation between the neighbouring countries.