Mercosur

• Wednesday, September 29th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Encouraging news for EU-Mercosur.

  The recent naming of a former left wing Italian Primer Minister as head of the European Parliament Mercosur Committee was seen as a positive sign for the ongoing trade negotiations between the two blocks which have an agreed October 31 deadline.

• Wednesday, September 29th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine boy shoots three classmates.

  The rampage at the Islas Malvinas Middle School No. 2 in the south-eastern corner of Buenos Aires province touched off an intense nationwide debate about spiralling school violence in Argentina.

• Wednesday, September 29th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Buenos Aires cruise season begins November 5.

  Next November 5 with the arrival of the “Amsterdam” and “Saga Pearl” the official 2004/05 cruise season will be inaugurated in Buenos Aires which this summer expects to receive over 50,000 cruise visitors.

• Tuesday, September 28th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Mercosur expects EU trade proposal next Wednesday .

  Following the exchange of proposals, “both sides will then decide if what is on the table allows us to continue negotiations and conclude them by October 31”, the officially agreed deadline, “or we consider that proposals are not mature enough and in this case we will continue working further on”, said this Monday in Brussels Arancha González, the spokesperson for the European Union Trade Representative Pascal Lamy.

• Tuesday, September 28th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Britain to condone poor countries multilateral debts.

  Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer George Brown promised this Monday in Brighton that UK will condone the world's poorest countries debt with the World Bank.

• Tuesday, September 28th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Stiglitz blasts G-8 and IMF “democratic deficit”

  US economist and Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz demanded an urgent review of multilateral organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, IMF, World Bank and particularly the G-8 given their lack of legitimacy which impedes the development of a “true global democracy”.

• Tuesday, September 28th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Preparing for a 60 US dollars oil barrel.

  World oil prices reached fresh records on Monday with US light crude poised to break 50 US dollars per barrel (U$S 49,64) following mounting fears about oil supply given growing tensions in Nigeria and the Middle East.

• Monday, September 27th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Combined air exercises in northern Chile.

  Combat aircrafts from Argentina, Brazil, United States and Chile began this weekend joint strategic air exercises in the area of Iquique, northern Chile, approximately 2,000 kilometres from Santiago.

• Monday, September 27th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Mercosur-EU talks deadline in doubt

  The European Union and Mercosur have yet to exchange their complete proposals for the trade agreement currently under negotiation between the two blocks, according to European Commission sources in Brussels.

• Monday, September 27th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine fisheries exports forecasted to drop 30%.

  Argentine fisheries exports this year are forecasted to drop 30% compared to 2003 because of the poor squid and shrimp catches, according to the latest reports released by the Argentine Fisheries Department. Last year total fisheries exports totalled 885 million US dollars.