Mercosur

• Monday, February 2nd 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguayan president in Spain

  Uruguayan President Jorge Batlle arrived Sunday in Spain on his first official visit to the country during which he will press for investment and promote closer bilateral relations, officials said in Montevideo.

• Saturday, January 31st 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Castro Says Bush Plotting to Kill Him.

  Fidel Castro accused President Bush on Friday of plotting with Miami exiles to kill him, and said he would die fighting if the United States ever invaded to oust him.

• Saturday, January 31st 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine President back to Bs. Aires.

  Kirchner and his delegation boarded the Tango 01 presidential plane yesterday evening to end a four-day official visit. They are expected back in Buenos Aires this morning after a re-fueling stop in Fortaleza, Brazil.

• Friday, January 30th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Swiss Justice investigates 200 former Menem officials

  Argentine Minister of Justice Gustavo Beliz and Swiss magistrate Chritine Junod confirmed Thursday that “over 200 former officials” from the Carlos Menem administration are “under investigation” in Switzerland for alleged claims of corruption and money laundering.

• Friday, January 30th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Magallanes unemployment 6,5%

  Magallanes Region unemployment experienced a slight 0,2% increase in the last quarter of 2003 reaching 6,5%. However compared to a year ago it remained unchanged and Magallanes is below the national Chilean average of 7,4%.

• Friday, January 30th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina's defaulted debt “critical”, says IMF

  Even when Argentina successfully managed to jump the hurdle of the first performance review of its stand by arrangement with the IMF, the official IMF release underlines that the “restructuring of Argentina's sovereign defaulted debt remains the most critical task for the coming period”.

• Thursday, January 29th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  India, South Africa, Brazil political block

  India, South Africa and Brazil will back each others claim for permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council said Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva on ending his four day state visit to India.

• Thursday, January 29th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Kirchner satisfied with visit to Spain

  Spanish president Jose Aznar gave its full support to Argentina and its current policies that have attained a recovery “far beyond what was expected”.

• Thursday, January 29th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Federal Reserve leaves rate unchanged at 1%

  The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee unanimously decided Wednesday January 28 to keep its target for the federal funds rate at 1%, the lowest since 1958

• Thursday, January 29th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  IMF approves first review of Argentine program

  The International Monetary Fund, IMF, approved this Wednesday the disbursement of 358 million US dollars from a 13,3 billion US dollars stand by credit line agreed last September with Argentina.