Buenos Aires

Spain's National Court rejected a request from Buenos Aires for the extradition of former Argentine President Isabel Peron on charges of human rights abuses. In two rulings, the court said the charges did not constitute crimes against humanity and that the statute of limitations for the offenses of which Peron is accused expired after 20 years. The rulings may be appealed. Argentine judges want to question Peron over death squad activity during her rule and the disappearance of two young leftists in 1976.

A curtain of smoke from burning rural fields settled over this Argentine capital Thursday, delaying flights, shutting roads and leaving residents coughing. The influx of smoke blown toward the capital by prevailing winds also reignited hard feelings between the government and the nation's powerful farming industry, which recently suspended a three-week strike against new taxes on grain exports.

Tango impresario Juan Fabbri can't get a table at the 500-seat dinner theater he runs. That's because Esquina Carlos Gardel in Buenos Aires is packed with tourists every night. Fabbri's clients pay $80 to $160 each to slice into steaks while watching a movie about the 19th century roots of tango, Argentina's signature melancholy music and dance. After dinner, they view a dance show with orchestra.

Argentine President-elect Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner wants more foreigners to invest in her country's economy, which is growing by 8% annually. But Argentina's recent history of runaway inflation, currency devaluations and huge foreign debt, coupled with the generally low reputation of its politicians, banks and courts, make outside investors and major corporations wary of putting their capital at risk.

In previous visits and recent advertising, Tango Buenos Aires listed Cristian Zarate as artistic director. But Saturday at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, a new name appeared at the top of the company roster -- Rosario Bauza -- and a new agenda dominated the performance. Like most touring tango companies, this one used to focus on isolated couples, with a few ensembles and instrumental interludes punctuating the plotless proceedings. No longer.

THE throb of tango music, the sizzle of grilling meat, crowded tables groaning under the weight of portable barbecues loaded with short ribs, sausages and yards of skirt steak that drape over the grills' edges. We're at Buenos Aires Grill in Northridge, it's close to 10 p.m. and the place is still rockin'. Several groups of guys in soccer club jerseys, paying homage to Argentina's reputation as cattle country, are reveling in the restaurant's parridillas, or mixed-grill meals.

A shadowy Venezuelan businessman toting almost $800,000 in his suitcase arrived in a private jet chartered by the Argentine government. He allegedly failed to declare the cash, as required by law, but customs inspectors opened the bag and discovered the stash, in neat bundles of $100 bills. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who was visiting to ink new aid deals, promptly labeled the matter a U.S. plot to undermine his latest petro-diplomacy initiatives.

NOT only am I not a shopper, I am so not a shopper. But on my recent trip to Buenos Aires, it just made so much sense. There were three main draws: first, price. I quickly realized that I would lose money by not shopping here, what with trendy suede sneakers for $20, dress shirts and casual pants for less than $25 and antiques, housewares and fashions by young local designers for a fraction of what they would be stateside. Chalk it up to the exchange rate.