Politics

• Friday, July 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  The Economist warns of 3 years of lame-duck presidency

  Under the heading of “Losing friends fast” The Economist refers to the milestone last 48 hours in Argentina and concludes that if President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner does not learn fast from her mistakes, “she may go down as one of the longest-serving lame ducks in recent democratic history”.

• Thursday, July 17th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine Senate knocks out Kirchners farm export tax

  

  After a dramatic 18hrs session senators tied 36 to 36 in two votes on the measure. Julio Cobos, the vice-president voted against the proposal, breaking the tie. The bill was approved by the lower house of Congress on July 5.

• Thursday, July 17th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil and Colombia agree to joint Amazon border surveillance

  A defense agreement to share military information, technology, training, intelligence, weapons procurement and joint exercises will be signed this weekend between Brazil and Colombia when President Lula da Silva arrives for two-day talks with his counterpart Alvaro Uribe.

• Thursday, July 17th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Englishwoman death in Argentina reaches House of Commons

  The mysterious death in Argentina of a young Englishwoman in October of last year has reached the floor of the British House of Commons with her family's MP questioning a junior Foreign Office minister about the adequacy of the support received by the deceased woman's family from the British Embassy in Buenos Aires and questioning the return of her body to the UK without its organs.

• Wednesday, July 16th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine Senate vote: end of debate or another battle?

  

  Hundreds of thousands of Argentines took to the streets of Buenos Aires in support of two rival rallies on the eve of a Wednesday crucial Congressional vote on farm export taxes which has triggered a four month stand off between the government and protesting farmers.

• Wednesday, July 16th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Wife of Moscow mayor buys £ 48 m London mansion

  

  Witanhurst, a 90-room Grade-II Queen Anne listed mansion in Highgate, sold for £23 million last year, only to see its value soar 56% in the last 12 months despite worries of falling house prices.

• Wednesday, July 16th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Uribe admits Red Cross symbol used in rescue operation

  

  Colombian President Alvaro Uribe admitted one Red Cross symbol was used in a daring and successful hostage rescue mission that took place two weeks ago.

• Wednesday, July 16th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Buenos Aires “fed up” with Kirchner farmers' conflict

  

  A majority of Buenos Aires City residents are “fed up” with political rallies stemming from the ongoing stand off between the Argentine government and the protesting farmers over grains and oilseeds export taxes, according to a survey released on Wednesday.

• Tuesday, July 15th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchners Senate block show cracks ahead of crucial vote

  With less than two days for the crucial Congressional vote on the sliding tax regime on grain and oil seed exports which is at the heart of a dispute between the Argentine administration of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and the farmers, the final tally remains uncertain.

• Tuesday, July 15th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  SS doctor Aribert Heim 'still alive in Chile'

  

  Former SS doctor Aribert Heim is still likely to be alive in Chile, said a director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre at the end of a five-day mission.