Mercosur

• Saturday, May 21st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina, a “troublesome” partner but “not stubborn”

  Argentina is a “troublesome” partner but “not stubborn” said Argentine Foreign Affairs minister Rafael Bielsa following the signature Friday in Brazil of an agreement to intensify relations between the two neighbouring countries.

• Saturday, May 21st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchner's October warning and “weak governments”

  Argentine president Nestor Kirchner once again called upon the electorate to support the official candidates in the coming October mid term elections warning that “what is at stake is the country” and if not, it will be “most difficult to rule”.

• Saturday, May 21st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Andes tragedy: 3 days mourning in Chile

  Chilean president Ricardo Lagos announced late Friday that search patrols were returning from the Andean mountains with the bodies of 13 soldiers meaning that at least 28 remain unaccounted for in spite of a huge land and air rescue operation.

• Friday, May 20th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Strong push for wind energy in Argentina

  Among Argentina's natural energy resources one has remained virtually untapped and is in endless supply: wind. But with Siemens' recent purchase of Bonus Energy this could be about to change.

• Friday, May 20th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Giant iceberg in Australian Antarctic station

  An iceberg more than twice the size of Malta has arrived in the backyard of Australia's Casey station in Antarctica. The 50km-long iceberg, 788 square kms in area, is known as B15G. It is part of a massive iceberg, B15 that broke away the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica in March 2000.

• Friday, May 20th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil's most dynamic airline will fly to Uruguay

  Brazilian no frills airline GOL will be flying to Uruguay and Paraguay beginning in the second half of 2005, reported the company in Sao Paulo.

• Friday, May 20th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Additional levy on Chilean mined copper

  Chile the world's biggest copper producer passed a bill increasing taxes on the mining industry taking advantage of the international bull market for the metal which is a main source of government revenue.

• Friday, May 20th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Mexico and Mercosur trade talks

  Mercosur and Mexico will begin Friday in Asuncion, Paraguay a round of trade talks, a follow up of what was agreed a year ago in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina.

• Friday, May 20th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  “Energy difficulties, not energy crisis”

  Repsol-YPF CEO Antonio Brufau said Thursday that “there's no energy crisis in Argentina but rather energy difficulties” and called upon the Argentine people to save energy and let “oil and transport companies do what is needed in exploration and production”.

• Friday, May 20th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Green Party abandons Lula's coalition

  The Green Party which has a cabinet minister and seven seats in the Lower House announced Thursday it was abandoning the ruling coalition of President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva disappointed with the government's environmental policies.