The head of one of the Middle East's best-known investment funds has warned against any European Union (EU) moves to increase their regulation. State-run investment vehicles, Chinese and Middle East sovereign wealth funds have recently bought stakes in a number of Western banks and other businesses.

Four hostages held by Colombian FARC rebels were released on Wednesday, in a deal brokered by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Colombian security forces have arrested a senior member of the country's largest insurgency group and one of the most wanted rebels announced the government of President Alvaro Uribe.

Four years are needed to clear the five minefields planted by the Chilean Army in northern Tierra del Fuego, although one of them will be officially certified as de-mined at the end of 2008 according to Chilean Defence ministry sources, reports La Prensa Austral from Punta Arenas.

France warned on Thursday that French-Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt may have only weeks to live, after fellow captives released by Colombia's FARC guerrillas said her health was failing rapidly.
Venezuela has said it is ready to recover four hostages held by Colombian rebels, in the second release deal brokered by the government of Hugo Chavez this year.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone met with newly-affirmed Cuban leader Raul Castro just two days after the ageing dictator Fidel Castro relinquished power.

By the end of this year, half of the world's 6.7 billion people will live in urban areas, according to a report unveiled by the United Nations on Tuesday, which also predicts that future growth of the world's urban population will be concentrated in Asia and Africa.
The presidential summit for the launching of the Union of South American nations, Unasur, will take place March 28/29 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, said Colombian Foreign Affairs minister Fernando Araujo.
With United States Senator Barack Obama leading in the number of delegates for the nomination of presidential candidate for the Democrats, some Latinamerican experts are looking into his knowledge of the region and trying to guess what awaits this region.