Mercosur

• Friday, March 4th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Oil price hits new record: 55 US dollars.

  Oil prices surged to new record levels Thursday, breaking the 55 US dollars per barrel barrier.

• Friday, March 4th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina celebrates 76% swap debt acceptance.

  Creditors holding 76% of Argentina's defaulted debt accepted the government's swap offer, the biggest debt restructuring in modern times said Argentine Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna, Thursday in Buenos Aires.

• Friday, March 4th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Britain's Prince Edwards strolls, juggles in Santiago.

  Britain's Prince Edward, youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II, walked to his destination in downtown Santiago on Thursday and showed off his juggling prowess during a visit to a circus school.

• Thursday, March 3rd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine catches fourth jigger poaching.

  A Chinese jigger was arrested early this week by the Argentine Coast Guard allegedly poaching in Argentine waters.

• Thursday, March 3rd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Lula and Vázquez inaugurate malt plant.

  Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez in his second day of government inaugurated Wednesday, together with Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a new malt plant in the city of Paysandu belonging to the Brazilian company Ambev.

• Thursday, March 3rd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  S. American countries agree energy and financial coordination.

  Presidents of Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela agreed Wednesday in Uruguay to promote energy integration and coordinate their stance vis a vis international multilateral organizations such as the International Monetary Fund.

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Jubilant Celebrations in Uruguay.

  More than half a million people went out to the streets in this capital Tuesday to greet the course of Tabare Vazquez minutes before he took office as the first Uruguayan Socialist President, in the history of this South American nation.

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Prince Edwards meets President Ricardo Lagos.

  Prince Edward arrives this evening in Santiago for a 24 hours visit to Chile after participating Tuesday in the inauguration of Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez administration in Montevideo.

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Punta Arenas main wool processing plant fire razed.

  British owned Standard Wool in Punta Arenas which processes 60% of Magallanes Region wool will be out of the carding and combing business for the next 12/18 months following a devastating blaze that razed with all the plant's equipment, several warehouses and over a thousand bales of greasy wool.

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchner reiterates sovereignty claims.

  Argentine president Nestor Kirchner reiterated this week his administration's strong commitment to recovering the full sovereignty over the Falklands/Malvinas islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich islands and adjoining maritime spaces, calling on the United Kingdom to resume negotiations leading to a peaceful solution of the dispute.