Politics

• Thursday, March 5th 2009 - 23:00 UTC

  Argentine/Brazil bilateral trade drops 40% in Jan-Feb

  

  Bilateral trade between Argentina and Brazil continued to deteriorate during the first two months of the year, according to official statistics released in Brasilia. Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade said that exports to Argentina in January-February were down to 1.33 billion US dollars which represents 46.5% less than Jan-Feb. 2008.

• Thursday, March 5th 2009 - 17:36 UTC

  Chavez seizes US food company

  

  Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, has seized one food company and threatened to nationalise another as he demands that the industry produce cheaper rice.

• Thursday, March 5th 2009 - 17:05 UTC

  Brown urges US not to succumb to protectionism

  

  Gordon Brown has received a standing ovation from the US Congress after he called for a renewal “of the special relationship for our generation”. Mr Brown, the fifth UK prime minister in history to address both houses on Capitol Hill, urged the US and UK to push for “essential” economic changes.

• Thursday, March 5th 2009 - 17:03 UTC

  English cricket team on Falklands and Chile tour

  

  Falkland Cricket Club (FCC) from Newbury, Berkshire currently on a tour of South America warmed up for their historic re-match at the home of their South Atlantic namesakes, Falkland Islands, on Friday by completing a second tour victory.

• Thursday, March 5th 2009 - 16:57 UTC

  Argentine/Chilean lawmakers hold joint session in Antarctica

  

  Argentine and Chilean members of the Congressional Foreign Relations Committees will hold symbolic meetings in Antarctica on Thursday to underline bilateral links and the two countries commitment to the Antarctic Treaty and the Environment Protection protocol.

• Thursday, March 5th 2009 - 16:50 UTC

  Princess Anne in Gibraltar amid Spanish complaints

  

  HRH Princess Anne arrived in Gibraltar Wednesday on an official visit to the disputed territory that has stirred up old tensions between Britain and Spain. The Spanish government made an official complaint to British authorities ahead of the royal visit describing it as “inopportune” and an affront to Spain, which contests London's rule over the strategic territory.

• Wednesday, March 4th 2009 - 23:00 UTC

  Argentine gov. and farmers reach first agreements

  

  Argentina's government agreed Tuesday to several demands for dairy, beef and wheat production following a four hours meeting with farm leaders with the unexpected two hours participation of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in the discussions.

• Wednesday, March 4th 2009 - 16:46 UTC

  Fidel says he was consulted about the cabinet reshuffle

  

  The former Cuban president Fidel Castro says he was consulted on the sweeping leadership changes undertaken by his brother Raul government and he says two of the ousted officials had been seduced by “the honey of power.”

• Wednesday, March 4th 2009 - 16:40 UTC

  Argentine government and farmers reach first agreements

  

  Argentina’s government agreed Tuesday to several demands for dairy, beef and wheat production following a four hours meeting with farm leaders with the unexpected two hours participation of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in the discussions.

• Tuesday, March 3rd 2009 - 23:00 UTC

  UK's top historian denied access to his MI5 file

  

  The British government has been challenged to explain why Britain's most eminent historian has been barred from seeing a file kept on him by the domestic spy agency, MI5.