Mercosur

• Thursday, June 2nd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Lula rejects “populist” measures to prop economy

  Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressing a business forum in Sao Paulo discarded adopting “populist” measures to speed up the growth of the economy which seems to have slackened in the first quarter of 2005.

• Thursday, June 2nd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Japan reports new case of “mad cow”

  A nine year old cow in the northern island of Hokkaido has been confirmed a the nineteenth case of “mad cow” in Japan, confirmed Thursday the Ministry of Public Health, Labour and Human Services.

• Thursday, June 2nd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  ECB keeps interest rates unchanged at 2%

  The Governing Council of the European Central Bank decided Thursday to keep basic interest rates in the Euro zone unchanged at 2% given the moderate growth performance of the economy and the fact domestic inflationary pressures remain contained in the medium term.

• Thursday, June 2nd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  S&P upgrades Argentina's debt rating

  Standard & Poor's, the credit-rating agency upgraded Argentina's long-term debt rating to a B- with a stable outlook, up from SD, or selective default, a sign the country is mending its relationship with international markets after declaring a record default in December 2001

• Thursday, June 2nd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Repsol-YPF targets exploration in South Atlantic

  Repsol-YPF CEO Antonio Brufau said the company is planning to invest 6,5 billion US dollars in Argentina in the next five years, 74% of which in exploration and production of oil and natural gas both inland and offshore.

• Wednesday, June 1st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Consumer prices still increasing in Brazil

  Brazil's Market Prices General Index, IGP-M with a strong incidence of wholesale prices, contracted 0,22% in May after having expanded 0,86% in April according to the latest release from the Getulio Vargas Foundation, FGV.

• Tuesday, May 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Fisheries strike caused six-figure losses for Chubut

  The salary conflict that has paralysed a large sector of the fisheries industry for 37 days in the Province of Chubut resulted in the loss of at least EUR 5.4 million, according to Mario Ordiales, the president of the Argentine-Patagonian Chamber of Fisheries Industries

• Tuesday, May 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  IADB set for battle over leadership

  Enrique Iglesias is expected to present his resignation as president of the Inter-American Development Bank this week, triggering what will be a hotly contested battle for leadership of the western hemisphere's most important multilateral development institution.

• Tuesday, May 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  SOS message in a bottle saves 88 castaways

  Eighty-eight castaways adrift for nine days at sea after immigrant smugglers abandoned them to their fate were rescued on the weekend off Costa Rica's Pacific coast after a fisherman pulled from the ocean a bottle containing a desperate message for help written by one of the group.

• Tuesday, May 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Bush and Insulza coordinate OAS assembly

  One of the first activities of the newly nominated Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza was to visit United States President George W. Bush in the White House to discuss ways of strengthening democracy and promoting development in Latin America.