
Headlines: Chamber clashes with FIG over lack of action; ‘Increased broadband’ announced by Cable and Wireless.

In a further escalation of the conflict with farmers over taxes, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announced on Thursday that revenue from the levy on soy exports would be shared between the federal, provincial and city governments.

El Salvador's President-elect Mauricio Funes will make his first foreign trip to Brazil, officials said after his party of former Marxist rebels triumphed in weekend elections. On Wednesday US President Barack Obama telephoned Mr. Funes to congratulate him on his election.

After almost 50 years of severed ties, Costa Rica will re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba, President Oscar Arias announced Thursday. The move, announced via a press release, comes after Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno hinted earlier this week that a rapprochement was possible.
The FMLN wins the presidency in El Salvador, but it's no mandate for revolutionary change such as populism and confiscations.

Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez together with several ministers and a delegation of 70 businessmen left Friday for an official state visit to China. The party arrives Saturday in Beijing but the official program begins Monday when President Vazquez will be received by this Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao.

An estimated 10.000 Argentines marched Wednesday evening on the historic Plaza de Mayo in the capital, Buenos Aires to demand more anti-crime measures, reflecting a top priority among Argentines, according to recent polls. The protest was repeated in other marches through out Argentina at the same time.

US President Barack Obama has announced he will travel to Mexico next month, making his first trip to that country as president. Mexico's government says President Obama will visit the country on April 16 and 17.

The pace of the ratification of a global pact outlawing cluster bombs must be accelerated to relegate the deadly weapons “to the pages of history,” Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said Wednesday.

The boss of US insurer AIG has called the bonuses paid to executives distasteful and said he asked some recipients to return at least half. But Edward Liddy said the Federal Reserve knew in November of the 165 million US dollars bonus payments to executives that have caused such a furore in US.