United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened on Tuesday the General Assembly's annual high-level debate by urging world leaders to rise to the challenge of global leadership and work together to solve the most pressing and intractable problems, from climate change and the energy crisis to entrenched poverty and the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region.

Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilson, the star witness of the money-stuffed suitcase scandal which involves Argentine and Venezuelan officials, declared in a federal court in Miami that the plane in which he flew August 2007 to Buenos Aires was carrying a second suitcase with 4.2 million US dollars besides the 800.000 which were seized by Buenos Aires Customs.

Uruguay and Chile figure among the best ranked in Latinamerica in the latest report from Transparency International, a non government organization which rates countries according to corruption in the so called Corruption Perception Index or CPI.

The US Department of Justice, FBI is investigating four of the US financial giants caught out by the financial crisis hitting Wall Street for possible fraud, according to reports.

Uruguay's most voted and popular leader, former guerrilla and currently Senator Jose Mujica admitted he would be a presidential candidate if he counts with the support from other groups of the ruling coalition.
Almost half of young Brazilians live in poverty conditions according to the latest Social Indicators 2008 report from the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute, IBGE

In the 21st century where communications are instantaneous, 90 per cent of world trade still reaches its destination via the commercial shipping industry, which has been shaped over the last six decades by the practices and standards set by the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has staked his claim to be the only man to steer Britain through tough economic times saying: This is no time for a novice.

In her first speech before the United Nations General Assembly Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner mocked United States policies, reiterated Iran should extradite officials allegedly involved in terrorist actions in Argentine territory and insisted on claiming sovereignty over the Malvinas/Falklands.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) applauded this week the decision by the British Government to grant children seeking asylum, migrant children and those trafficked into the country the same rights as British children, including their right to education, health care and social services.