Mercosur

• Tuesday, December 28th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Chavez seals strategic alliance with Beijing

  Bilateral trade between Venezuela and China will reach 3 billion US dollar in 2005, double this year, President Hugo Chavez said on his return to Venezuela following a five-day official visit to Beijing which was also another strategic move to lessen dependency from the “dominating regional power”.

• Tuesday, December 28th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Aerolineas Argentinas out of the red.

  Aerolineas Argentinas under the control of the Spanish tourism consortium Marsans cancelled this week the third and final payment of its 169,2 million US dollars October 2001 agreement with creditors.

• Tuesday, December 28th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Menem vows to cooperate.

  Former President Carlos Menem, who aims to return to power, yesterday pledged to start cooperating with two judges who are investigating corruption charges against him.

• Monday, December 27th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Oil in Gulf of Mexico Cuban waters.

  President Fidel Castro announced the discovery of a crude oil deposit off shore Cuba apparently containing 100 million barrels.

• Monday, December 27th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Breaking News from Pta. Arenas.

  Breaking News:
  US dollar 560/570 Pesos in Punta Arenas; Improved air service support for cruise industry; Tapping natural gas deposits in Magallanes.

• Monday, December 27th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine economic recovery “undeniable”

  The New York Times praised the Argentine economic recovery of the last three years in spite of the fact that when the December 2001 crisis broke out, “an unprecedented social and economic collapse was forecasted”.

• Monday, December 27th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil approves bankruptcy reform bill

  A major reform of Brazil's bankruptcy laws has been approved by Congress; a move which is hoped will cut costs for business.

• Monday, December 27th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Menem back in Bs. Aires today.

  Former president Carlos Menem is scheduled to appear in court today and promise a judge investigating him on charges of tax evasion that he will never again shun court summons.

• Saturday, December 25th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Pope Offers Christmas Message of Peace.

  In a Christmas Eve message of peace, Pope John Paul II lit a candle outside his darkened window and celebrated a Mass that offered prayers for calm and prosperity in the Holy Land

• Friday, December 24th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  “Time to harvest”, announces Lula da Silva

  Two years after taking office Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva can celebrate 2004 as a year of achievements both political and economic, however poverty and equality remain the soft spots of his administration.