Mercosur

• Friday, April 8th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina: 60,000 tonnes of hake in first quarter

  The Argentine commercial fishing fleet landed 61,264 tonnes of common hake (Merluccius hubbsi) during the first quarter of this year, mostly caught south of parallel 41º S.

• Friday, April 8th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Scotiabank sues Argentina for 600 million US dollars.

  Canada's Bank of Nova Scotia is seeking more than 600 million US dollars in damages from the Argentine government, blaming actions by authorities for the losses it suffered when it shut down its Argentine banking unit, Quilmes, during the 2002 currency crisis and massive sovereign default.

• Thursday, April 7th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Record car production in Brazil

  Brazil's automobile industry set new monthly and quarterly production records in March, with exports playing a leading role the vehicle manufacturers association announced this week.

• Thursday, April 7th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Strong warning for Ecuadorian Armed Forces

  Ecuadorian Armed Forces warned Wednesday that they would not tolerate “anarchy” in the country as thousands of government supporters and opponents took to the streets of the capital Quito to protest amid a political crisis sparked by the removal of Supreme Court members.

• Thursday, April 7th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile: Breaking News.

  Headlines:
  
  Howard Drake next British Ambassador in Chile; Record lamb killing year for Magallanes Region; One out of three Chilean households, victim of crime;
  Chilean primary debate in Punta Arenas.

• Thursday, April 7th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Fisheries News.

  Headlines:
  
  Argentina and Falklands could close squid fishery earlier than anticipated; Hake fishers big and small to pay for licenses on a per-tonne basis; Moderate optimism over fisheries activity in 2005.

• Thursday, April 7th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Montevideo container terminal expansion advances

  Four groups have submitted adjusted offers to Terminal Cuenca del Plata, TCP, which operates a container port terminal at Uruguay's capital Montevideo, for an expansion and recovery project.

• Thursday, April 7th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  ECB leaves Euro rates unchanged at 2%

  The Governing Council of the European Central Bank, ECB, decided Thursday to keep the minimum bid rate on the main refinancing operations unchanged at 2%.

• Thursday, April 7th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Mid term election dates announced in Argentina

  Argentina will be holding open, compulsory and simultaneous primary elections for the nomination of Deputies and Senate candidates next August 7.

• Wednesday, April 6th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Castro describes Pope as “unforgettable friend”

  Fidel Castro visited Vatican legation in Havana Monday to sign the book of condolences for the death of Pope John Paul II, whom the Cuban leader described as an “unforgettable friend”.