Mercosur

• Monday, June 20th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Plan to eradicate foot and mouth disease by 2009

  Mercosur and associate members Chile and Bolivia agreed on a five year plan to eradicate foot and mouth disease in the region with an aggressive immunization campaign and a strong epidemiologic control.

• Monday, June 20th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Mercosur addresses the energy challenge

  Energy, infrastructure, human rights and support for Bolivian democracy were among the main issues addressed Sunday in the Mercosur presidential summit hosted by Paraguay and which ends Monday with the transfer of the group's pro tempore chair for the next six months to Uruguay.

• Monday, June 20th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Varig files for bankruptcy in Brazil and US

  The troubled Brazilian airline filed for bankruptcy protection in Brazil and the US on Friday June 17.

• Saturday, June 18th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Record high for oil and prospects of further surge

  The price of oil finished Friday in New York at a new record, 58,47 US dollars per barrel pushed by growing supply concerns with the beginning of the United States vacation period and insufficient refining capacity.

• Saturday, June 18th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazilians support Lula da Silva in spite of scandal

  Two different public opinion polls show that Brazilian president Lula da Silva popularity has experienced some erosion because of the bribes scandal involving his administration and the ruling Workers party, but nevertheless is the favourite for next year's presidential election.

• Saturday, June 18th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina complains about Italian “hostility”

  Argentina admitted Friday that relations with Italy are at their “worst moment” and complained of continuous hostility from the Silvio Berlusconi administration, particularly in the several multilateral organizations.

• Saturday, June 18th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Ecuador redistributes oil income

  Ecuador's Congress will give preference to social programs over lowering national debt. The country's Congress voted 64-1 to amend the law regulating the so-called Stabilization, Productive and Social Investment and Public Debt Reduction Fund, FEIREP, which feeds on revenue from the country's rich oil exports.

• Saturday, June 18th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  World Bank support for Uruguay's five year reform plan

  The World Bank, (WB), extended Uruguay three credits totalling 175 million US dollars earmarked for infrastructure and social development during the official inauguration this week in Montevideo of the bank's regional headquarters.

• Friday, June 17th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Falklands in Sunday's Mercosur summit agenda

  Mercosur Foreign Affairs ministers will be discussing next Sunday in Paraguay the European Union decision to include in its constitution the Falkland Islands, currently under British sovereignty, reported Thursday the Paraguayan press in Asunción.

• Friday, June 17th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine economy steaming ahead

  Argentina's GDP expanded 8% in the first quarter of 2005 compared to the same period a year ago, and 0,5% over the fourth quarter of 2004, according to the latest release from the Statistics and Census Office.