Mercosur

• Tuesday, August 3rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile clears minefields in Bolivian border.

  The Chilean Army announced this Monday it will eliminate 6,526 anti personnel and anti tank mines in five fields close to the Peruvian border in the north of the country.

• Tuesday, August 3rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Cruise accident and fuel spill in Alaska.

  The cruise vessel Clipper Odyssey with 122 passengers and a crew of 31 sailing last Sunday along the Alaskan coast spilt 5,000 gallons of fuel after striking a rock.

• Tuesday, August 3rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Record visitors in Palermo livestock Show.

  Argentina's main agricultural show in the heart of the country's capital, Buenos Aires' Palermo grounds established last Sunday a new record with 153,600 visitors totalling 884,000 in a week.

• Tuesday, August 3rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Attorney General says 7 responsible in store fire.

  The Paraguayan Attorney General's Office on Monday filed indictments against seven people for their alleged roles in the super-store blaze that killed 464 people and injured more than 200 others

• Monday, August 2nd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  “A minor triumph for multilateralism”

  After five days of tough negotiations in Geneva the 147 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) reached a breakthrough that will cut rich countries farm subsidies in exchange for developing countries opening markets for industrial goods.

• Monday, August 2nd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivia and Peru agree energy complementation.

  An “energy complementation” letter of intent will be signed this week when Bolivian president Carlos Mesa makes an official state visit to Peru.

• Monday, August 2nd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina worried with “insecurity and social perturbation”

  Insecurity is Argentina's main public opinion concern, followed closely by unemployment according to a TNS-Gallup poll published this Sunday in Buenos Aires.

• Monday, August 2nd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  River Plate praised by European Sports journalists.

  River Plate gained the runners-up position behind local favourites Ajax, in the “2004 Sony Amsterdam Tournament”. Ajax drew 0-0 with English champions Arsenal late on Sunday night, before a sell-out crowd of 50,000, to clinch the trophy, following their impressive 3-2 win over Greek champions Panathinaikos on Friday.

• Sunday, August 1st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Record US budget deficit.

  The US budget deficit is forecasted to reach this year a record 445 billion US dollars compared to 375 billion in 2003, but considerably less that the 521 billion estimate of last February. (Fiscal 2004 ends next September 30)

• Sunday, August 1st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil overshoots target.

  Brazil managed a primary budget surplus during the first half of 2004 equivalent to 5,76% of GDP, clearly overshooting the target agreed with the IMF.