Mercosur

• Tuesday, April 12th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil: low inflation but local currency too strong

  Inflation in Brazil during March reached 0,61%, slightly higher than in February (0,59%) accumulating 1,79% in the first quarter and 7,4% in the last twelve months reports the Brazilian Statistics and Geography Institute, IBGE.

• Tuesday, April 12th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  US record trade deficit in February: 61 billion

  United States trade deficit reached 61 billion US dollars last February, the highest ever according to the latest release from the Department of Commerce. Market analysts were forecasting 59 billion following January's 58,3 billion US dollars.

• Tuesday, April 12th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina: gas “rational use” program begins Friday

  Argentina will begin next Friday a natural gas “rational use” program forcing 4,1 million clients to save between 5 and 10% of normal consumption and therefore avoiding higher bills.

• Monday, April 11th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Movie hall in Antarctica

  Argentina will inaugurate this Monday the first movie hall in King George Island in the Jubany base.

• Monday, April 11th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile: Breaking News

  Headlines:
  President Lagos mother dies; German Antarctic scientific cruise; New 170 bedrooms hotel for Punta Arenas; Concern with new gas supply legislation; Wide band reaches Punta Arenas; Preparing for cardiovascular surgery; China's Travel Channel films Patagonia.

• Monday, April 11th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Cuban Convertible Peso revalued 8%

  Cuba made effective Saturday April 9 the 8% devaluation of the US dollar in Cuban territory after having abolished the circulation of the green back replacing it by the Cuban convertible peso or better known as CUC.

• Monday, April 11th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Mexico's controversy could internationalize.

  Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who was stripped of his immunity from prosecution last week, said Sunday he would take his case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

• Monday, April 11th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Latinamerica after closer ties with Asia

  The Interamerican Development Bank, IDB, opened Sunday in Okinawa its annual general assembly and the main issue on the table has been closer trade links with Asia, and more specifically China's bid to become a member of the multilateral credit institution which has divided the region's countries.

• Monday, April 11th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina and Brazil partners, but?

  The coming summit of the South American Community scheduled for this Thursday/Friday in Brazil should help to clear certain shadows looming over the initiative which encompasses ten South American countries.

• Monday, April 11th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile and Mexico contest OAS Secretary General seat

  Chile with strong South American and Caribbean support is confident it will win the bitterly contested Organization of American States, OAS, secretary general post which is being disputed with Mexico, backed by United States and Canada.