Mercosur

• Wednesday, February 1st 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine record exports: 40 billion in 2005

  Argentina experienced a trade surplus of 11.322 billion US dollars in 2005, higher than expected, but 6.46% below 2004 reported the Institute of Statistics and Census.

• Wednesday, February 1st 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuelan ruling party forecasts landslide victory

  Venezuela's ruling party anticipates a landslide victory in next December's presidential election with over 10 million votes, equivalent to two thirds of the official electoral registry, said the Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) leader, William Lara.

• Wednesday, February 1st 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Mercosur arms smuggling to Brazil's organized crime

  A Brazilian congressional committee began Wednesday contacts with neighbouring Mercosur members and Suriname to request frontal action against arms trafficking following reports of weapons flowing to Brazilian organized crime.

• Wednesday, February 1st 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Greenspan honorary advisor to UK Treasury

  Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan has agreed to become an honorary adviser to the United Kingdom Treasury, announced British Chancellor Gordon Brown.

• Wednesday, February 1st 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Pulp mills dispute will be “taken to Mercosur”

  The controversy over two pulp mills being built in the Uruguayan side of the river that acts as a natural border with Argentina, and environmentalist groups' actions blocking routes and bridges leading to Uruguay to protest the project, will be taken to Mercosur's consideration.

• Tuesday, January 31st 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Madres de Plaza de Mayo end marches

  After 25 years of protesting in Buenos Aires' main square for information about the disappearance of their loved ones, the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo) commemorated their 1.500th weekly march by calling an end to the “resistance marches” and praising President Nestor Kirchner.

• Tuesday, January 31st 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Switzerland to check Pinochet bank accounts

  Switzerland has decided to launch a probe of bank accounts allegedly belonging to former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet that Chilean authorities suspect may be linked to arms contracts, confirmed Monday the Swiss Federal Justice Office in Berne.

• Tuesday, January 31st 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Award for Falklands' war film in Spain

  “Enlightened by fire”, the Argentine film on the Falklands/Malvinas war, partly filmed on location, has been awarded the Goya Prize to the “best Spanish speaking foreign film” in the twentieth edition of the renowned Barcelona, Spain Cinema Festival.

• Tuesday, January 31st 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Queen Mary 2 on schedule to Ushuaia/Punta Arenas

  The cruise liner Queen Mary 2 with its 2.600 passengers is currently sailing for Ushuaia and Punta Arenas after having spent thirteen hours in Montevideo where Cunard Lines put on a big public relations operation.

• Tuesday, January 31st 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguay disagreement opens door for Argentina's case in The Hague

  “This issue is confronting two brother countries and is exacerbating nationalism,” said Uruguayan Deputy Víctor Semproni, a former bank clerks' union boss of the ruling Broad Front.