Mercosur

• Thursday, February 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuelan economy expanded 17,3% last year.

  Rocketed by strong oil prices and political stability Venezuela's economy surged 17,3 % in 2004 following two years of significant contraction, and according to a release from the Venezuelan Central Bank this was the largest increase “since indexes began to be recorded”.

• Thursday, February 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  China outpaces US as main consumer nation.

  China became in 2004 the world's main consumer of several basic items for industrial countries (commodities and energy), --displacing United States--, according to a report from the Washington based Earth Policy Institute.

• Thursday, February 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Colombian president en route to re-election.

  Colombian President Alvaro Uribe would be comfortably re-elected if the vote were held this week according to the latest public opinion polls, reported the country's main radio network Radio Caracol.

• Thursday, February 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  CIA's “potentially” unstable countries list.

  United States Central Intelligence Agency Director, Porter Goss identified Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti, Cuba and Mexico a countries “potentially” unstable in 2005.

• Thursday, February 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Kyoto pact starts despite U.S.

  The Kyoto Protocol, the historic treaty requiring cuts in gas emissions which cause global warming, took effect yesterday with the support of 141 nations.

• Thursday, February 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Former President's Daughter Found Dead.

  The daughter of former Paraguayan President Raul Cubas Grau was found dead, months after she was abducted by heavily armed gunmen.

• Thursday, February 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Tsunami: Losses in fisheries and aquaculture climb to $520 million.

  Updated damage assessments are shedding new light on the scope of material losses suffered by fisherfolk in southern Asia as a result of the December 2004 tsunami -- and the financial costs that will be involved in rehabilitating the affected region's all-important fisheries and aquaculture sectors.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Record US trade deficit with Latinamerica.

  Latin American and the Caribbean registered a record trade surplus of 82, 39 billion US dollars with the United States in 2004, according to the US Department of Commerce.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazilian Congress sends disturbing message.

  Conservative Deputy Severino Cavalcanti from the Progress Party was elected president of Brazil's Lower House, an unexpected defeat for the administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and setback for his reform plans.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Top marks for Chilean economy and prospects.

  The Chilean government celebrated this week an all time record low country risk, confirming the positive international assessment of the Chilean economy and its positioning as the safest country to invest in South America.