Mercosur

• Sunday, February 23rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Two weeks of “full pressure”.

  Chile's role as a non permanent member of the United Nations Security Council is becoming increasingly important as United States and Britain push for a second resolution on Iraq scheduled for March 7.

• Sunday, February 23rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  EU bans Paraguayan beef

  The European Union this week banned all beef imports from Paraguay after recording “serious problems” in the foot and mouth supervision and control measures. The decision was taken by the EU Food Chain and Animal Health Permanent Committee in Brussels following a proposal from the European Commission.

• Saturday, February 22nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Eichmann Kidnapper Dies
  Recall of Argentina Nazi abduction.

  The Israeli Intelligence chief who master-minded the abduction of the Nazi killer Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960 for trial and execution in Israel has died in Israel, aged 91. Isser Harel was the head of Israel's foreign intelligence agency, Mossad, and also the first director of its domestic security agency, Shin Bet.

• Friday, February 21st 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Record US trade deficit

  The United Status trade deficit reached a record 435,2 billion US dollars in 2002, a 21,5% increase over the 358 billion of 2001, according to an official release from the Department of Commerce.

• Thursday, February 20th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Unique Uruguay Football Medal for sale.

  Memories of football's first ever World Cup final in Uruguay more than 70 years ago have been revived by the proposed sale of the Uruguay Captain's gold medal.

• Thursday, February 20th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Hot News from Argentina & Brazil.

  Headlines: Argentina rejects war on Iraq; Brazil hikes interest rate; Pro Mercosur Ambassador.

• Wednesday, February 19th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Tough FTAA negotiation round.

  United States multilateral and bilateral approach to tariff reductions and its insistence in protecting US farm subsidies in the framework of the current Free Trade Association of the Americas talks in Panama have stalled agriculture negotiations.

• Wednesday, February 19th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Preparing for elections in Paraguay.

  Ten presidential hopefuls registered for the coming general elections in Paraguay that will be held next April 27. Nine of them are described by the Paraguayan press as conservative or populist and just one belonging to the left.

• Wednesday, February 19th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Non-aggression pact in Venezuela.

  Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez administration and the opposition signed a non aggression pact aimed at defusing tensions, according to the Organisation of American States, OAS, that has been mediating in the increasingly violent and acrimonious conflict.

• Tuesday, February 18th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Greenspan cautions

  US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warned that uncertainties over a possible war against Iraq are weakening US economic growth, creating “formidable barriers to new investment and thus to the resumption of a vigorous expansion of overall economic activity”.