
The United States House of Representatives approved on Tuesday a 146 billion US dollars economic stimulus package proposed by President George W Bush, but the package has an uncertain future in the Senate.

Political turmoil in the Chilean ruling coalition which has left President Michelle Bachelet without a majority in the Senate has meant that for the first time Magallanes region, in the extreme south of the country, will have a deputy speaker in the upper house beginning March 2009.
The Argentine government contracted 37.000 civil servants under the administration of president Nestor Kirchner, (2003/2007) which works out at an average of 35 new employees every day, according to reports from the Ministry of Economy published Monday in the Buenos Aires press.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez claimed that United States and Colombia were plotting an incident that would spark a war with Venezuela. The charges, supported by alleged troop movements in the border area caused fear among the civilian population of the neighboring countries.

Headlines: Bad weather = £184k loss; An end to Tamar's delay?; Dockyard project moves on; Dorada's future unclear; Mini Sports this weekend.
Colombian president Alvaro Uribe has an 80% support, the highest since taking office back in 2002, according to the latest public opinion polls released this week. The previous poll in November showed Uribe with a 74% support and 14% negative response.

Headlines; Surf's up!; Tamar FI breakdown: meat export concerns; New boss at FIGAS has Islands link; FGML closes Falklands operation; ASSI team to assess under-threat airstrips.

Chile's congress backed a pension reform bill Wednesday to ensure the country's landmark social security program for the first time covers every citizen.

Argentine Malvinas veterans from Tierra del Fuego in the extreme south of Argentina made public their dissatisfaction with the coming visit of Britain's ice patrol HMS Endurance to the port of Ushuaia next January 26.

Divided Bolivia took a tentative step toward reconciliation as President Evo Morales and opposition governors agreed to seek a compromise between Morales' new constitution and declarations of autonomy by four resource rich eastern states.