Argentine government says more police to patrol the streets

The Argentine Interior Minister, Carlos Corach, has said more police officers are to be put on the streets to combat a recent crime wave.

Mr Corach said extra civil servants would be recruited to fill administrative posts, freeing up more officers for the fight against crime.

Figures quoted by the Argentine media show that reported crime in the city and province of Buenos Aires rose sharply in 1997.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service