Mercosur

• Friday, April 23rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Tens of thousands rally against crime in Argentina.

  Tens of thousands of Argentines rallied Thursday night in this capital for the second time in less than a month to express solidarity with the father of a young man slain by his kidnappers and demand they be brought to justice.

• Friday, April 23rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Toothfish from “Maya V” nets over $2M

  The sale of the illegal catch of Patagonian toothfish seized from the Uruguayan flagged longliner “Maya V” earlier this year has netted in excess of $2 million, the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Ian Macdonald, and the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Chris Ellison, said this Friday in Canberra.

• Thursday, April 22nd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Latinamerica forecasted to grow robustly.

  Latinamerica expanded a modest 1,7% in 2003 according to the International Monetary Fund six months World Economic Outlook released this week in advance of the coming IMF assembly scheduled to begin this Saturday in Washington.

• Thursday, April 22nd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Fed and IMF anticipate higher US interest rates.

  Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said the United States economy is in vigorous expansion and at some point may need higher interest rates to keep inflation at bay. US interest rates stand at a half century record low of 1%.

• Thursday, April 22nd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  EU top agriculture official visits Mercosur.

  European Union Agriculture Commissar Franz Fischler is scheduled in Brazil and Argentina this weekend to further advance in negotiations for the creation of a free trade association between Mercosur and the EU.

• Thursday, April 22nd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivian natural gas for Argentina.

  Bolivia finally agreed to sell Argentina natural gas, although insisting that the fuel does not end in Chile, with which La Paz maintains a long-standing territorial dispute

• Wednesday, April 21st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Mercosur and EU closer to the October target.

  Mercosur and European Union representatives after two days of negotiations in Buenos Aires are closer to their objective and the signing of a free trade agreement next October has once again become feasible.

• Wednesday, April 21st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Warrant issued for former Argentine president.

  A Buenos Aires judge on Tuesday ordered the extradition of Carlos Menem, Argentina's flamboyant former president, from Chile after Mr Menem failed to appear in court.

• Tuesday, April 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine industry at full steam.

  Industrial production in Argentina increased 15,5% in March compared to a year ago, revealed this Monday the Argentine government, an indication that the full impact of the energy crisis is still to come.

• Tuesday, April 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile forecasted to grow 4,9%.

  Chile is forecasted to grow 4,9% in 2004 helped by bullish prices of copper, still the country's main export, and a greater dynamism from domestic demand. In the last quarter of 2003 the government had estimated growth for this year to reach between 4 and 5%.