Mercosur

• Tuesday, September 21st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Mercosur has become more operational.

  Argentina and Brazil sought to play down their trade differences yesterday during a meeting between Presidents Néstor Kirchner and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in New York.

• Tuesday, September 21st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Annan urges nations to restore respect for rule of law.

  Decrying what he described as “shameless” disregard for the rule of law around the globe, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today urged world leaders gathered at the General Assembly to do everything within their power to restore respect for the fundamental principles of law ? in domestic affairs, as well as on the international arena.

• Monday, September 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Dollar gains on eve of Fed interest rate decision.

  The dollar nudged higher against the euro and yen as dealers marked time on the eve of a US Federal Reserve interest rate announcement.

• Monday, September 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Close to 100 national leaders head to UN for General Assembly meeting.

  Leaders from nearly 100 countries are headed to New York to participate in the main annual debate, which is slated to open tomorrow and run through the end of the month at the United Nations General Assembly.

• Monday, September 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Floods Kill More Than 500 in Haiti.

  The death toll from the disastrous passage of Tropical Storm Jeanne over Haiti topped 500 on Monday, with the northern city of Gonaives cut off.

• Monday, September 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  U.N. Summit: Fight to end hunger merits top priority.

  The fight to eradicate hunger and poverty is a moral obligation that merits top priority, the leaders of Spain, France, Brazil and Chile said here Monday at a summit they convened in the hopes of spurring coordinated efforts to combat malnutrition and indigence worldwide.

• Sunday, September 19th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil President to Lead Poverty Crusade.

  A grade school dropout and ex-factory worker, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva vividly recalls his struggle to survive in Brazil's backwoods and urban squalor. Now, Silva hopes to lead a global crusade to help the worlds needy.

• Sunday, September 19th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine central bank chiefs to go.

  Argentina's centre-left government is to replace Alfonso Prat-Gay, central bank president, as part of a wide-ranging shake-up of the country's highest monetary authority.

• Saturday, September 18th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchner to attend General Assembly of the United Nations.

  Kirchner is leaving today to New York city where he is scheduled to speak before the United Nations Assembly and the Council of the Americas.

• Saturday, September 18th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  IMF lets Argentina defer $1.1 billion in debt.

  The International Monetary Fund on Friday granted an Argentine government request to defer $1.1 billion in debt repayments that Buenos Aires was scheduled to make between now and January.