Mercosur

• Tuesday, October 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile attempts to soothe Argentina.

  In the midst of the latest Chilean-Argentine diplomatic incident involving the incoming Chilean Foreign Affairs minister, the Chilean government revealed that three servicemen caught red-handed spying when last year they broke into the Argentine consulate in Punta Arenas had been forced to retire.

• Tuesday, October 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguay expects 70,000 cruise visitors.

  Next November 3 with the arrival in the Atlantic resort of Punta del Este of “Saga Pearl” which the following day will call in Montevideo, the cruise season officially begins in Uruguay.

• Tuesday, October 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  APEC's growing importance for Magallanes.

  The coming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, APEC, to be held in Chile, and the tourism chapter scheduled in Punta Arenas have highlighted the importance of the Pacific rim for Magallanes Region, according to Marcos Leal regional director of ProChile, the organization which promotes the country overseas.

• Tuesday, October 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  China applies for IDB membership.

  China has officially requested to become a member of the Interamerican Development Bank, IDB, --the region's main multilateral organization--, with the purpose of increasing “our already significant financial relations” with the region's countries.

• Tuesday, October 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil considers reducing IMF dependency.

  Brazilian Central Bank president Henrique Meirelles confirmed that Brazil is planning to abandon stand-by agreements with the International Monetary Fund. This will probably happen next March when President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva officially announces the non renovation of the current agreement.

• Tuesday, October 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  SpaceShipOne Wins $10 Million Prize with Flight.

  The world's first privately funded manned spacecraft soared through the blue fringe of Earth's atmosphere to the blackened frontiers of space on Monday for the second time within a week to win a $10 million prize designed to spur commercial space travel.

• Tuesday, October 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  US supports Brazil's Security Council candidacy.

  United States Secretary of State Colin Powell said this Tuesday that Brazil is “a solid candidate” to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and praised Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for his regional leadership and international standing.

• Tuesday, October 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean consumer prices stable.

  Chile recorded this year the lowest September consumer prices index since 1931, that is 0,1% with an accumulated nine months rate of 2,3% and 1,5% during the last twelve months according to the latest release from the Chilean Statistics Office.

• Tuesday, October 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Record fisheries exports.

  Chilean fisheries exports reached 1,468 billion US dollars during the first seven months of 2004, a 12,8% increase over the same period last year indicating that the 2,5 billion US dollars target for the whole twelve months can be achieved, reported the Fisheries National Society, SNP.

• Monday, October 4th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Six hour daily blackouts in Cuba.

  Cuban authorities announced a daily six-hour blackout plan for Havana as one of the steps taken by the government recently to stem the island's serious energy crisis.