Mercosur

• Saturday, December 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile incorporates Dutch frigates and fighter bombers

  The Chilean navy incorporated Friday morning two refurbished Dutch frigates in the naval port of Den Helder, Holland.

• Saturday, December 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  November consumer prices drop in US and Eurozone

  Consumer prices in United States during November dropped 0.6%, the sharpest slide in 56 years according to the latest release from the US Labour Department. The Eurozone also reported a similar situation in November with a 0,3% inflation contraction.

• Saturday, December 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Conciliatory message from Evo Morales to Washington

  Indian candidate Evo Morales favourite to win Bolivia's Sunday presidential election said he was willing to begin “talks” with United States but “without any kind of submission”, if he is finally elected.

• Saturday, December 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Latinamerica expanding but?must do better

  Latin America posted solid economic growth in 2005 for the third straight year, but its economies lagged behind other nations struggling with poverty, a UN agency reported yesterday.

• Friday, December 16th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina will pay in advance IMF debt

  Argentine president Nestor Kirchner announced Thursday the decision to cancel in advance the country's debt with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, 9.8 billion US dollars which will be financed with international reserves from the Central Bank.

• Friday, December 16th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  EU farming subsidies under fire at WTO

  It was the European Union vs. the Rest of the World as global trade talks remained deadlocked yesterday, with the EU defending itself from a barrage of criticism that its refusal to further opens its farming markets threatened to torpedo the entire World Trade Organization meeting.

• Friday, December 16th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina industrial activity expands 8.9% in November

  Industrial activity in Argentina kept steaming ahead in November reaching 8.9% compared to the same month a year ago and 0.4% over last October.

• Thursday, December 15th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Paraguayan president prepares ruling party purge

  Paraguay's Congress rejected this week a motion to impeach President Nicanor Duarte who is running for the chair of his Colorado Party, in power since 1947, but with the more conservative nationalistic elements decisively conspiring against the government's liberal program.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  EU Sakharov Prize for Cuban “Ladies in White”

  The so-called Cuban “Ladies in White” virtually admitted Tuesday that they will not be travelling to Strasbourg to receive the Sakharov prize from the European Parliament, despite international efforts to convince the Cuban government to allow them to make the trip

• Wednesday, December 14th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Record budget deficit but US business confident

  United States November budget deficit was larger than forecasted because of a significant increase in outlays according to the US Treasury Department.
  
  However business and consumers are optimistic about 2006.