Mercosur

• Tuesday, May 18th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  21 Koreans with mechanical respirators

  Fifteen crewmembers of the Korean jigger “Sung Kyung” that were intoxicated two weeks ago when an ammoniac gas tank exploded remain connected to mechanical respirators in several Montevideo hospitals.

• Tuesday, May 18th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine-Brazilian combined air exercises

  The Argentine and Brazilian air forces will be involved until next Friday in the combined exercise “Plata II” with the participation of fighter and transport planes, helicopters, ground radar systems and 360 servicemen.

• Tuesday, May 18th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  OPEC closer to increasing production

  The Organization of petroleum exporting countries, OPEC, could be holding a formal meeting next May 22/24 in Amsterdam to decide an oil production increase with the purpose of stopping the escalation of oil prices, the highest in decades.

• Tuesday, May 18th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil wants full access to EU farm markets

  The Brazilian Deputy Trade Representative before the World Trade Organization, WTO Pablo Estavillet de Mezquita argued in favour of Mercosur countries having “free of quotas access” to European Union agriculture markets.

• Tuesday, May 18th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Gas crisis: situation will stabilize in 2005/06

  “The only thing we can do is feeling ashamed, and apologize”, said Argentine Minister of Interior Anibal Fernandez who defended Argentina's decision to limit natural gas supply to Chile, simultaneously admitting that there's no close end to the energy crisis.

• Tuesday, May 18th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  New Brazilian ambassador in Argentina

  One of the most capable political operators from the Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mauro Luiz Iecker Vieira, 53, is the new Brazilian ambassador in Buenos Aires.

• Tuesday, May 18th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Lula confirms conservative economic policy

  Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva appealed to the business community not to expect “magic plans” to help reactivate the stagnant Brazilian economy which in 2003 contracted 0,2% for the first time in eleven years.

• Monday, May 17th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  President Kirchner still going strong

  Argentine president Nestor Kirchner public opinion support stands at 73%, eleven points less than in April, according to the latest poll from Ipsos-Mora & Araujo published in this Sunday's edition of La Nacion.

• Monday, May 17th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  US April inflation 0,2% but?

  United States consumer prices rose 0,2% last April, lower than the 0,5% of March and below the 0,3% expected by market forces, but there are growing concerns about inflation as the economy rapidly begins to pick up.

• Monday, May 17th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  China's economy overheated economy spurs inflation

  China's annual consumer prices index reached a seven year high in April, 3,8% driven mainly by increases in food costs according to the latest report from the country's Statistics office.