Washington - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is investigating possible abuse of power by its head, Dominique Strauss- Kahn, in connection with a sex liaison with an underling of Hungarian origins, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

The 59-year-old French economist and socialist, married to French television journalist Anne Sinclair, was named last year as IMF director.

Buenos Aires - Argentina's agricultural producers on Friday began a six-day strike seeking changes in government policy towards the sector.

Farmers held assemblies by the side of roads in several areas around the country, as they stopped delivering cereal crops for export and cattle for domestic and foreign consumption.

Farmers' federations called for the latest strike based on the difficult situation following a severe drought, the fall in the price of their produce in international markets and what they see as the lack of a suitable policy for the sector on the part of the centre- left government.

Buenos Aires - Argentina's government and farmer leaders exchanged harsh words Wednesday, following the rural organizations' call to another strike from Friday amidst one of the country's worst droughts in 100 years.

The four farmers' unions said late Tuesday that they would stop delivering cereal crops for export and cattle for domestic and foreign consumption for six days starting Friday.

Farming is one of the engines of the Argentine economy, and its leaders managed to block earlier this year a government bill to increase tariffs on the export of soybean and sunflower seeds through a series of strikes.

Buenos Aires - Argentina's National Congress approved the renationalization of the financially troubled airline Aerolineas Argentinas, which had been privatized 18 years ago, and its regional subsidiary Austral.

The Senate approved the measure Wednesday by a 46-21 vote after the Chamber of Deputies had also passed it.

Debt-laden Aerolineas has been in crisis for years, and state aid was seen necessary for it to avoid collapse. Delays are a daily occurrence, and many travellers try to avoid taking its flights.

Buenos Aires - An estimated 300,000 people gathered Tuesday in Buenos Aires in opposing rallies over the ongoing political confrontation over higher export tariffs for certain crops, local media re