Mercosur

• Monday, November 14th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  A weakened Bush sets off on crucial Asian tour

  With his public opinion approval ratings at its lowest since taking office, United States President George Bush began Monday a week-long tour of Asia that will take him to Japan, South Korea, the annual Pacific-Asia summit, China and Mongolia.

• Monday, November 14th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  90% of Amazon lumber illegally timbered

  Greenpeace claims 90% of the Amazon lumber was illegally timbered and at least one third was consumed by the Brazilian government.

• Monday, November 14th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Oil prices with limited impact on tourism growth

  Higher oil prices have so far had limited effect on international tourism growth according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (WTO) which estimates 2005 will end with a 5/6% international tourist arrivals increase.

• Monday, November 14th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguay expects 90.000 cruise visitors this season

  The 2005/06 cruise season which was officially inaugurated last weekend in Montevideo is expected to generate anywhere between 60 and 80 million US dollars according to Uruguayan authorities.

• Monday, November 14th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  FTAA aftermath: Mexico Venezuela recall ambassadors

  Mexico and Venezuela recalled Monday their ambassadors amid a growing diplomatic row which began during the recent Americas Summit in Argentina and rapidly scaled to a diplomatic conflict when Venezuelan president Chavez called his Mexican counterpart Fox a United States imperialism “puppy”.

• Saturday, November 12th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Oil hits lowest price in four months

  Crude-oil futures fell to a four-month low yesterday, as speculators continued to liquidate positions.

• Saturday, November 12th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile, spring board for Chinese companies in Latam

  Chile which is signing a free trade agreement with China next week expects to become the Latinamerican spring board for the Asian giant business in the region.

• Saturday, November 12th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Copper's 7 billion US dollars for Chilean coffers

  Over seven billion US dollars will end in the Chilean Treasury in 2005 as a consequence of the booming prices of copper and molybdenum, with Codelco, the government owned company providing 5,3 billion US dollars.

• Saturday, November 12th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Avian influenza pandemic could cost 800 billion

  A pandemic of avian influenza among humans could cost the global economy 800 billion US dollars a year. That's the assessment of Milan Brahmbhatt, a senior economist with the World Bank's East Asia and Pacific region.

• Saturday, November 12th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Petrobras record earnings and rising extraction costs

  Brazilian government owned Oil Company Petrobras announced Friday a record high third-quarter net profit on a rise in output and fuel prices. Net consolidated profit was the equivalent of 2.6 billion US dollars, below market estimates, plus signs of rising oil extraction costs.