Mercosur

• Saturday, February 4th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean 2005 beef imports totalled 142.245 tons

  Chilean beef imports reached 142.245 tons equivalent to 503 million US dollars in 2005, up 16.000 tons compared to the 126.224 tons of 2004, reports Santiago's Chamber of Commerce.

• Saturday, February 4th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  US/Uruguay free trade accord “not in the agenda”

  Uruguay's Foreign Affairs minister Reinaldo Gargano said Uruguay totally discards any possibility of a free trade agreement with United States which could endanger Mercosur.

• Friday, February 3rd 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Antarctic tragedy: Chilean Army officers prosecuted

  Two Chilean top military officers are facing prosecution on charges of manslaughter and falsifying reports after an investigation lead by a Punta Arenas military judge revealed severe negligence regarding an Antarctic accident when an officer and two servicemen were killed.

• Friday, February 3rd 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  IDB to address Latinamerica' “left turn”

  The Inter-American Development Bank, IDB, will address in the coming Annual General Assembly the “left turn” taking place in several Latinamerican countries, said Ernesto Stein chief economist of the bank in London.

• Thursday, February 2nd 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Costa Rica elects president and Legislative

  Costa Rica, Central America's small but most stable country in the region will be casting ballots next Sunday to elect president, two vice presidents, 57 members of the Legislative Assembly and 81 municipal authorities.

• Thursday, February 2nd 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Record-breaking profits for Shell

  One of the world's oil giants Royal Dutch Shell reported the highest profit in UK corporate history. The rapid rise in oil prices boosted Shell's surplus to 22.9 billion US dollars, almost 30% on last year when it set a UK record with profits of 17.59 billion US dollars.

• Thursday, February 2nd 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Petrobras and Bolivia reach a 50/50 gas agreement

  The new Bolivian administration managed Thursday its first agreement with a foreign oil corporation following Brazil's Petrobras acceptance of a 50/50 share in the lucrative natural gas business.

• Thursday, February 2nd 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Euro interest rates unchanged, but ECB “vigilant”

  The European Central Bank (ECB) decided Thursday to leave basic interest rates unchanged at 2.25% but said it will remain “vigilant” about long term inflationary pressures.

• Thursday, February 2nd 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Mexico's bright and dark sides of the economy

  Last year was a record year for Mexico in macroeconomic fundamentals according to the Mexican Central Bank: the lowest inflation and public debt in four decades and the highest income ever from oil and remittances from Mexicans overseas.

• Thursday, February 2nd 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  EU-Cuba relations straining

  The European Parliament said Thursday that the European Union's political dialogue with Cuba has not led to greater freedom on the island or improved bilateral relations, and member states should “act accordingly”.