Mercosur

• Sunday, October 17th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  'The Patagonian toothfish needs protection'

  Environmentalists urged fishing nations to do more to protect the rare Patagonian toothfish, dubbed the “white gold” of the sea which is being driven to extinction by rampant poaching.

• Saturday, October 16th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean Navy delegation in Ushuaia celebration.

  A delegation of Chilean naval authorities travelled last October 12 to Ushuaia, Argentina, specially invited by their Argentine Navy counterparts to participate in the city's 120th anniversary.

• Saturday, October 16th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Executive order puts Lan Peru back in the air.

  Lan Peru resumed domestic and international flights this Friday afternoon following an emergency executive order signed last night by Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo leaving without effect a Court ruling that suspended the company's operations for five days beginning Friday.

• Saturday, October 16th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Judge upholds Argentine government in hake dispute.

  An Argentine Federal Court Judge from Rawson, José Eduardo Pinsker turned down legal appeals which would have allowed 11 vessels belonging to five companies to continue catching common hake (Merluccius hubbsi).

• Saturday, October 16th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Former OAS chief in Costa Rican Court

  Former Organization of American States, OAS, Secretary General Miguel Angel Rodríguez was handcuffed and carried away on arriving this Friday to San Jose airport in Costa Rica where he must respond to alleged claims of bribery which abruptly cut short his recent naming in OAS.

• Saturday, October 16th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina replaces Chile in UN Security Council.

  Argentina, Denmark, Greece, Japan and Tanzania won this week seats as non permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

• Saturday, October 16th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  “Patagonia Declaration” stresses sustainable tourism.

  The formal Third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Tourism Ministers Meeting which convened officials and delegates from 18 of 22 APEC member countries to Punta Arenas closed early afternoon last Thursday with the “Patagonia Declaration”.

• Friday, October 15th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Second record US budget deficit.

  The United States budget deficit reached 412 billion US dollars in fiscal 2004, the highest ever in the country's history according to a report from the Treasury Department.

• Friday, October 15th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Bielsa to meet Walker in Montevideo.

  After having publicly stated that “it would not be possible to work” with Chilean Foreign Affairs minister Ignacio Walker, Argentine minister Rafael Bielsa finally said that the latest Chilean-Argentine controversy “was over”.

• Friday, October 15th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  More poor people in Brazil.

  The number of Brazilians with insufficient resources to feed adequately actually increased during Socialist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva first year of government according to an independent report.