After it was found that millions of tons of food grain were lost because of rotting in Indian warehouses for the lack of proper technologies, the government had decided to take some step.

India will be joining hands with Argentina for developing a new technology for warehousing and also to be able to access the existing ones in the South American nation.

According to the reports, amid increased arms shopping, Argentina is turning the heat on shipping to the British-ruled Falkland Islands ahead of further results from recent drilling for underwater crude oil and gas reserves.

The latest Argentine coast guard restrictions on shipping came after President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announced plans in February to monitor vessels traveling to and from the South Atlantic archipelago.

According to the official reports, Chile and Argentina will pool resources to form a joint military force for rapid response to humanitarian crises and peacekeeping missions in Latin America.

Officials said that the combined rapid response force, to be called Southern Cross, will be drawn from the armed forces of both countries and will comprise initially about 1,000 troops. The force will be ready for deployment before the end of the year.

India's leading personal care products maker Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. is expected to buy an Argentina-based hair color products firm, Issue Group Co. According to a report published in one of the leading news papers of the country, the deal is on its way and likely to be through soon. Industry is waiting to hear an announcement on the possible buy out from Godrej.

Analysts said on Tuesday that Argentina is angling for a U. S. role in its Falklands oil dispute with Britain that will go beyond Washington sitting on the fence as the elder cousin to both Buenos Aires and London.

Argentina and Britain went to war over the islands in 1982 when the Latin American nation was under the thumb of a military dictatorship and Britain had its first brush with the military resolve of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Security noose around the Falkland Islands was tightened by Argentina with a tough new warning to Australian oil explorer Billiton to stay out of the controversial hydrocarbon prospecting operations in the Falklands, which it claims are under British occupation.

Warning Britain and the Falklands administration that it will not abandon its claim of sovereignty over the islands, Argentina has built up its military presence in the Falklands' waters.

British troops prevailed over an Argentine invasion force in the war over the islands in 1982 but Buenos Aires never abandoned its claim over the islands.

Buenos Aires, Jan 9 - A judge overturned Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's move to sack Central Bank President Martin Redrado.

Fernandez de Kirchner had issued a decree Thursday accusing Redrado of failing to do his job and relieving him of his duties.

Redrado had refused to allow Fernandez de Kirchner's centre-left government to use $6.57 billion of foreign currency reserves to help cover state debt payments due in 2010. He sided with the political opposition, which also opposed use of the cash reserves to pay interest on government debt.

Buenos Aires, Jan 8 - Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner Thursday sacked Central Bank president Martin Redrado, increasing the stakes in a power struggle over use of the country's foreign currency reserves to pay off state debt.

Fernandez de Kirchner issued a decree charging Redrado with "incurring in bad behaviour" and failing to fulfil "the duties of a public servant".

Redrado reportedly was not officially notified of the decision and heard about it from the media.

La Rioja (Argentina), Jan 4 - Qatari driver Nasser al-Attiyah took the lead in the automotive portion of the Dakar rally Sunday.

Al-Attiyah at the wheel of a Volkswagen Touareg was 1:19 minutes ahead of his nearest competitor after the 355-km second stage from Cordoba to La Rioja, Argentina.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz was in second place, followed by French record holder Stephane Petershansel in a BMX X3.

The first stage leader Juan Roma fell behind after a double somersault early in the stage.

Buenos Aires, Jan 3 - A female spectator was killed after a vehicle taking part in the Dakar Rally rushed off course and crashed into a group of spectators Saturday, medical sources said.

The accident happened in the opening stage of the gruelling event between Buenos Aires and Cordoba in Argentina, Xinhua reported.

The accident was caused by a 4x4 vehicle driven by German-Swiss pair Mirco Schultis and Ulrich Leardi.

Buenos Aires, Jan 2 - The Dakar Rally kicked off Friday in the Argentine capital with a total of 362 drivers taking part in what is considered the toughest road race in the world.

The riders took off from the famous Obelisk on Avenida 9 de Julio in central Buenos Aires in front of tens of thousands of spectators, with 134 cars, 52 trucks and 151 bikes and 25 quads competing.

Buenos Aires, Dec 31 :A former Argentine Roman Catholic archbishop was sentenced to eight years in jail for aggravated sexual abuse of a seminarian, the former prelate's lawyer said Wednesday.

The former seminarian had filed suit against Edgardo Storni, former archbishop of the Argentine city of Santa Fe, in 1993.

Buenos Aires, Dec 29 - Two men have wed in the southernmost tip of Argentina in the first marriage of its kind in Latin America, one of the spouses joined in the ceremony confirmed.

"We're very happy and proud," said Argentine Jose Maria Di Bello, who Monday married countryman Alex Freyre. The two needed special authorisation from Tierra del Fuego Gov. Fabiana Rios since gay marriage is not legally authorised in Argentina.

Freyre, 39, and Di Bello, 41, had planned to marry in Buenos Aires Dec 1, World AIDS Day, since both men suffer from the disease. But due to contradictory judicial rulings, the Argentine capital's civil registry office refused to perform the marriage ceremony.

Salta (Argentina), Dec 9 : India played an attacking game to outplay China 4-1 in a pool A match of the Champions Challenge hockey tournament underway here.

Prabhjot Singh (7th minute) Rajpal Singh (35), Sarwanjit Singh (56) and Shivendra Singh (70) scored for India. China pulled one back through Yi Song in the 41st minute.

Having drawn their opening match against New Zealand, India showed intent against China right from the start Tuesday.

India were promptly on the attack and earned a series of penalty corners. They missed the first one, before Prabhjot scored from the second on a rebound.

Buenos Aires, Nov 27 - Severe flooding claimed at least eight lives in Argentina and Uruguay, authorities said Thursday.

About 15,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes in the northern portions of both neighbouring South American countries.

In Argentina, two young men drowned in an overflowing river Wednesday, while a child was killed by a mudslide at his home. On Thursday, a rescue worker and another young man were killed when they tried to swim across a swollen river.

Three people drowned in Uruguay.

Buenos Aires, Nov 26 - Heavy rain has killed three people and displaced 12,000 in northeast Argentina, authorities said.

Two children drowned near Resistencia city, the capital of Chaco province, about 1200 km north of Buenos Aires, Xinhua reported.

In Goya City, 730 km north of Buenos Aires, a seven-year-old girl died when her house collapsed while she was sleeping.

About 5,000 people were evacuated in Chaco province while 3,500 were evacuated in Corrientes province, and 3,200 in Concordia city.

Buenos Aires, Nov 25 : Uruguay were the last team to make it to the 2010 World Cup, but their players are looking forward to their chance of reviving the South American country's long-gone football greatness.

Uruguay have won two editions of the prestigious global event, but they date back to 1930 and 1950.

Recent times have been marked by disappointment: of the past four editions of the World Cup, they only played one, in 2002, and even then they crashed out in the first round.

Buenos Aires - Oil wealth has clouded the vision of leaders like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said Israeli President Shimon Peres in comments published Wednesday by Argentine newspaper Critica.

"There are similarities between Ahmadinejad and Chavez because their thoughts are both clouded by oil," said Peres. That blindness has led both into political madness, he said.

Peres also predicted that both presidents will soon fall from power.

"Their own people are tired of these rulers. They are both only fleeting phenomena," he said while speaking at a conference Tuesday.

India suffered a huge setback ahead of the Champions Challenge-I championship in Argentina with former skipper and drag flicker Sandeep Singh unlikely to take part because of a back injury.

“He has suffered a back injury and was unable to get out of the bed for the last five days. We took him to the doctor today (Sunday) and he has been advised 10 more days of rest. He won't be able to play in the Champions Challenge,” chief coach Jose Brasa said.

Buenos Aires - The 1982 war with Britain for the Falkland Islands - which Argentina still calls Islas Malvinas - left deep wounds that persist decades later.

However, the shared dream of a London-based rock band and an Argentine veteran of the war is an example of fraternity that is on its way to the archipelago in the southern Atlantic.