Mercosur

• Monday, May 3rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Rato, new IMF Managing Director

  Rodrigo Rato, the former Spanish Finance Minister will be confirmed this Tuesday as the new Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund.

• Monday, May 3rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  “Malvinas, a pending issue”

  “Malvinas are a permanent symbol for Argentina”, and a “pending issue for this administration”, said on Saturday May 1 Argentine Defence Minister Jose Pampuro during the 22nd anniversary of Argentina's Air Force “baptism of fire” in the South Atlantic conflict.

• Monday, May 3rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Former populist leader son elected Panama president

  Martin Torrijos the son of a former populist military leader has been voted as Panama's next president. An opposition centrist Mr. Torrijos comfortably defeated last Sunday his main challenger former president Guillermo Endara. The ruling party candidate Jose Miguel Aleman finished third.

• Friday, April 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  China preparing to cool overheated economy.

  Stock markets across Asia suffered this week the impact of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao words anticipating that China was preparing steps to cool the economy that has been growing at a nerve breaking pace.

• Friday, April 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Fisheries News.

  Headlines:
  Spanish company expands in Ushuaia; Claims of “irregularities” in Argentine Fisheries; Spanish long-liners looking towards Brazil; Fisheries subsidies in WTO debate; Talks on EU-Chile trade agreement include fisheries; Anchovy becomes a contentious issue in the River Plate; Momentum builds in global talks on fisheries; EU new members fishing industry will receive 272 million Euros.

• Thursday, April 29th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina-Chile relation “delicate”

  Argentine president Nestor Kirchner rejected Wednesday evening the idea that his administration is not honouring natural gas agreements with Chile and suggested Chilean president Ricardo Lagos supply reduction claims be addressed to the oil corporations.

• Wednesday, April 28th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Four years in prison for Cuban blind dissident.

  Blind Cuban dissident Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva was sentenced to four years in prison after having been declared guilty of disrespect for the country's President Fidel Castro who has been in power over forty years.

• Wednesday, April 28th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Inflation down, unemployment up in Brazil.

  The extended consumer price index in Brazil experienced a 0,21% increase during April, the lowest this year, according to the latest release from the Brazilian Statistics and Geography Institute, IBGE. In March the index was 0,40%.

• Wednesday, April 28th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Port costs: Punta Arenas loosing to Ushuaia.

  Magallanes Senator Sergio Fernandez has requested Punta Arenas official to review overall docking costs for cruise vessels and make them more competitive with Ushuaia in Argentina that has virtually monopolized the industry.

• Wednesday, April 28th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Lan record profit in first quarter.

  Lan Chile profits in the first quarter reached an all time record of 48,1 million US dollars, a 123% increase over the same period a year ago, according to an official release from the Chilean flag carrier.