Mercosur

• Thursday, February 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile, Japan start FTA talks in Tokyo

  Japan and Chile began two days of official negotiations in Tokyo on Feb. 23 on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), aimed at striking a deal by the end of the year, Japanese government officials said.

• Thursday, February 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  UN treaty guarantees merchant sailors' rights

  Seeking to ensure fair globalization, the United Nations International Labour Organization overwhelmingly adopted on Thursday comprehensive new standards for the world's 1.2 million merchant sailors, setting out a host of rights to decent working conditions covering health, safety, minimum age and hours of work.

• Thursday, February 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Rice to visit Chile for Bachelet's taking office ceremony

  Chilean president Ricardo Lagos confirmed Thursday that United States Secretary of State Condolezza Rice would be participating next March 11 in the taking office ceremony of elected president Michelle Bachelet, the first woman to lead Chile.

• Thursday, February 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Possible new outbreak of FAM in north Argentina

  Argentine sanitary officials are checking into the possibility of a new outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the area where two weeks ago several thousands of cattle and hoofed animals were sacrificed.

• Thursday, February 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Mandelson calls for a new EU/Mercosur round of talks

  The European Union Trade Commissar Peter Mandelson said he was disappointed with the EU and Mercosur's incapacity to reach a free trade agreement but nevertheless extended an invitation for another round of talks.

• Thursday, February 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina formally notifies Falklands' vessel arrest

  Argentina officially notified the British Embassy in Buenos Aires on Thursday of the capture, last Monday, of the Falklands' flagged vessel “John Cheek” allegedly fishing in Argentina's EEZ

• Wednesday, February 22nd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  EU fails to agree on bird flu jabs

  European Union governments failed to approve plans to vaccinate poultry against flu, even as the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu was confirmed in a seventh EU country.

• Wednesday, February 22nd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  “John Cheek” arrest: “lawless action, almost abduction”

  The Spanish captain of the Falkland Islands flagged “John Cheek” retained in Comodoro Rivadavia insists they never fished in Argentine waters and Spanish fishing industry sources consider the whole incident a “lawless action, almost abduction”.

• Tuesday, February 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Guerrilla leader killed in Peru

  Peruvian police killed the military leader of the Shining Path guerrilla group in an operation over the weekend, reported officials. Victor Aponte Sinalagua, or “Comrade Clay,” was killed in the hamlet of Alto Pacae, in Tingo Maria, some 558 kilometers northeast of Lima.

• Tuesday, February 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Twelve bare-boat chartered vessels cleared to fish squid

  The Federal Fishery Council (CFP) authorised the submission of applications to register in the Special Register of Fishing Projects for the Argentine Shortfin Squid (Illex argentinus) Exploitation through the Location of Bare-boat Chartered Foreign Vessels in the National Jurisdictional Waters”.