Mercosur

• Sunday, August 1st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Hundreds killed in mall blaze in Asuncion.

  At least 283 people have died and hundreds more are injured in a fire at a Sunday crowded shopping mall in Asuncion, Paraguay's capital according to the latest hospital reports.

• Saturday, July 31st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Warn Against Amazon Destruction.

  The millions of tons of greenhouse gases spewed into the atmosphere every year by burning in the Amazon are almost entirely absorbed by the rain forest, scientists said.

• Saturday, July 31st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Poll gives Chavez edge in referendum.

  In the coming August 15 referendum, some 45 percent of Venezuelans will vote in favor of president Hugo Chavez continuing as president, about 34 percent will vote for his recall, and a significant number remains undecided, according to a poll published Friday in the the daily El Nacional.

• Saturday, July 31st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine homes save on gas, electricity to meet energy crisis.

  The Argentine government on Friday said that in the first six months of the year a plan to reduce household energy consumption yielded savings of 8 percent on domestic gas and 3 percent on electricity, which were used to supply growing industrial demand.

• Friday, July 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine fisheries news.

  Headlines:
  
  Argentina cuts drastically toothfish catches; Argentine fish exports increase 18%. Good shrimp catches in South Atlantic.

• Friday, July 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Oil industry targets South Atlantic.

  Repsol-YPF Argentina's main hydrocarbons producer and other foreign companies will be investing over 300 million US dollars in oil and gas exploration in the South Atlantic and offshore Buenos Aires province during 2005.

• Friday, July 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Hewlett-Packard CEO praises Chile.

  Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina said in Santiago that Latin America has much to learn from Chile regarding economics and institutional security.

• Friday, July 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Pinochet's son detained for alleged tax fraud.

  Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet oldest son was arrested Thursday in connection with allegations of tax fraud, authorities reported in Santiago.

• Friday, July 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  “IMF erred failed by supporting inadequate policies too long”

  The Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this Thursday released the report Evaluation of the Role of the IMF in Argentina, 1991-2001.

• Friday, July 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  “I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty.”

  John Kerry on Thursday night presented himself as a future president of strength, faith and optimism, claiming on behalf of the Democratic Party the same values championed by the Republicans as he accepted his party's nomination for president.