Buenos Aires, Feb 9 - Argentine oil company YPF, a unit of Spain's Repsol-YPF, announced Wednesday that its investments in the South American country rose last year by 50 percent to a record 13.3 billion pesos
($3.06 billion).

The country's largest oil and gas producer, which President Cristina Fernandez's government has accused of not investing enough in Argentina, cited the investment figure in a regulatory filing.

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.

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.

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 - Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said US President Barack Obama "is doing nothing for the peace process" in the Middle East.

"For now he is doing nothing, but he has invited us to revive the peace process. I hope that in the future he can play a more important role," Abbas said in an interview published Tuesday by the Argentine daily Clarin.

Instead, Abbas again called upon Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to take a more active role as mediator in the Middle East.

Buenos Aires, Nov 10 - Some 400 clowns and doctors skilled at clowning took part in an international conference in Buenos Aires to present scientific evidence, backed by their own experience, to show why laughter was healthy.

The third International Congress of Hospital Clowns, which was held Nov 7-8 in the Argentine capital, brought together artists and health professionals from around the world who combine humour with health care, the Spanish news agency EFE reported.

Buenos Aires - German former top model Claudia Schiffer was in Argentina with designer Karl Lagerfeld to promote Chanel's new international campaign, Argentine media reported Friday.

Schiffer, 39, and Lagerfeld arrived in the country Tuesday.

Lagerfeld, head designer for Chanel, photographed the 1990s fashion icon Tuesday in a black jacket and hat reminiscent of the local "gauchos" at an estancia (ranch) in the Buenos Aires suburb of Montegrande.

Following the photo shoot, both stars reportedly ate a typical Argentine "asado," or meal of roast meat.

Buenos Aires  - Over 15 separate types of coffee are on the menu together with various teas, juices, lemonades and food dishes - but Omar Velusio never makes a mistake when it comes to taking an order. "I have no problem remembering the orders from up to five tables," says the waiter, "after that it gets more difficult. Especially when guests order a meal as well. But thanks to my experience it works itself out."

Buenos Aires  - Argentina on Wednesday agreed to allow the International Monetary Fund to evaluate its economy, ending a years long break with the emergency lender.

Economic and Finance Minister Amado Boudou and IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn reached an agreement on the sidelines of World Bank and IMF meetings in Istanbul, Argentine media reported.

Buenos Aires  - Argentine President Cristina Kirchner Sunday ordered an official period of mourning for Argentine folk singer Mercedes Sosa, who died Sunday in Buenos Aires after falling seriously ill with a liver ailment earlier in the week.

Kirchner and her husband, former president Nestor Kirchner (2003- 2007), joined cabinet members in an emotional farewell from the singer and national folk hero, whose body was held in state in Parliament.

Buenos Aires  - A UN conference to battle spreading desertification agreed Saturday to increase funding to halt its dangerous effects.

Representatives from 190 countries that are signatories to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification agreed to a 4.29 per cent increase in spending to 16.3 million dollars. But the budget increase was less than the 16-per-cent requested by the convention's executive secretary, Luc Gnacadja.

Attendees also agreed for the first time to indicators to monitor and assess desertification, land degradation and drought by accepting recommendations set forth by a group of 200 scientists attending the conference in Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires - The ninth conference of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was opened Monday in Buenos Aires with a call for concrete measures to fight land degradation.

"Planetary health is not on the right path," Argentine Environment Minister Homero Bibiloni said in his opening speech. "We have to go from documents to instruments."

Buenos Aires  - The ninth conference of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was opened Monday in Buenos Aires with a call for concrete measures to fight land degradation.

"Planetary health is not on the right path," Argentine Environment Minister Homero Bibiloni said in his opening speech. "We have to go from documents to instruments."

Bibiloni said every year looks worse than the previous one as desertification and poverty rise, food security is jeopardized, flooding increases, and species and glaciers are lost.

Beijing/Buenos Aires  - Emerging powers including China, India and Brazil are leading the way out of global recession, and they expect the wealthy world to take notice.

As leaders from the Group of 20 (G20) bloc of leading economies begin a two-day summit Thursday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, these countries will be hoping to capitalize on their greater economic clout.

Buenos Aires - Carlos Bilardo has been put in charge of Argentina's national team in the absence of Diego Maradona, who is in Italy attending a spa, the national football federation said Tuesday.

Bilardo, who led Argentina to the 1986 title and is currently assistant to Maradona, will prepare the squad until the coach's expected return next week.

Buenos Aires  - Argentina were stunned by a weekend defeat against Brazil, but they may end up knocked out altogether if the fail to win Wednesday in Paraguay.

Argentine fans are seriously wondering whether their team - a football powerhouse and the winner of two editions of the World Cup - can actually miss South Africa 2010. And that is so far a very real possibility.

Brazil have already qualified for the World Cup, while Paraguay and Chile only need to get a point in three matches to seal their berths.