Mercosur

• Wednesday, June 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  ”We're fed up with (US) meddling in our affairs”.

  Argentine Foreign Affairs minister Rafael Bielsa said the Argentine government “was fed up” with foreign meddling in Argentina's internal affairs following a statement from a United States official expressing concern about the growing picketers street violence in the country.

• Wednesday, June 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  President Bush popularity at its lowest.

  The popularity of US president George Bush dropped to its lowest ever, 42%, with only four months to the presidential election according to the latest public opinion poll aired by CBS and published by The New York Times this Tuesday.

• Wednesday, June 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Pessimism about EU-Mercosur talks.

  Reaching a cooperation and free trade association agreement between Mercosur and the European Union by next October, as committed by both sides, seems ever distant, according to Argentine diplomatic sources.

• Tuesday, June 29th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Worst income distribution in decades.

  Argentina currently has the worst wealth distribution of the last thirty years with a growing gap between the richest and poorest brackets according to a report published last weekend by Buenos Aires daily Clarin.

• Tuesday, June 29th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Majority favour ousting Venezuela president Chavez.

  A majority of Venezuelans, 54% would vote to oust President Hugo Chavéz in the August 15 recall referendum, according to the latest opinion polls published over the weekend.

• Tuesday, June 29th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Kerry promises “respect” for Latinamerica.

  The almost certain United States Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry promised closer collaboration with Latinamerica, promotion of democracy and criticized the current President Bush administration for insisting with free trade in hemispheric relations.

• Tuesday, June 29th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Petrobras buys Agip's liquid gas operations.

  Petrobras, the Brazilian state owned oil company purchased for 450 million US dollars all assets of Agip in Brazil, a company belonging to the Italian corporation ENI.

• Tuesday, June 29th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Breaking News from Chile.

  Headlines:
  ENAP Refineries absorbs fuel storage; Chilean travel agents face new priorities; Big party in Valparaiso for USS Reagan seamen.

• Monday, June 28th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchner expresses willingness to cooperate with China.

  President Nestor Kirchner said at the start of his official visit to China that Argentina and the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur) were willing to promote economic and trade cooperation for mutual benefit.

• Monday, June 28th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  US checking for possible “mad cow” in Iowa.

  US Agriculture Department will be making further tests following the first possible case of “mad cow” disease apparently detected in a single animal in Iowa.
  
  Initial testing on the animal produced “inconclusive” results and US DA' chief veterinarian John Clifford said that “this is not at all unexpected. Screening tests are designed to be extremely sensitive”.