Mercosur

• Wednesday, February 25th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Judge freezes Menem's assets

  A judge yesterday froze all the assets of former president Carlos Menem, who is being investigated on charges of hiding more than 600,000 dollars from tax authorities in a Swiss account, court officials said.

• Wednesday, February 25th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  “Be brave for the challenges ahead”.

  The people and the government of Argentina have to be brave to face all the challenges ahead in this crucial moment, President Nestor Kirchner said yesterday.

• Wednesday, February 25th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Repsol YPF lifts LatAm hydrocarbons production 15% in 2003

  Spanish oil company Repsol YPF's Latin American hydrocarbons production increased 15% to 1.05 million barrels of oil equivalent a day (mboe/d) compared to 911,900boe/d in 2002, the company said in its 2003 earnings statement.

• Tuesday, February 24th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Bush takes aim at Democrat hopefuls

  After months on the defensive over Iraq, job losses and his military record, President George W. Bush has plunged into the 2004 campaign by accusing Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry of waffling on issues from Iraq to NAFTA.

• Tuesday, February 24th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Haitian rebels prepare to march on capital

  Rebel forces controlling about half of Haiti prepared to move south towards Port-au-Prince, the capital, on Monday with the aim of ousting President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who has rejected opposition calls for his resignation.

• Monday, February 23rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine bondholders meet to plan recovery of losses

  Representatives of investors with more than $30bn (?23.6bn, £16bn) in defaulted Argentine bonds will meet on Tuesday in New York to work towards a joint plan for recovering their losses.

• Sunday, February 22nd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguayan Ambassador Says Flangini Not Speaking for Government

  Uruguay's top fisheries official has been denounced as a loose cannon in his country for challenging Australia's sovereignty of McDonald and Heard islands in the Southern Ocean.

• Sunday, February 22nd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil's Carnival Celebration

  After a night of partying, men in wedding dresses, women in nun's habits, and imitation Arab sheiks danced with 40,000 others to traditional sambas on the second day of the world's most famous carnival celebration Saturday

• Friday, February 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Vigorous recovery of Argentine industry

  Argentine industry expanded 3,2% in January compared to December while industrial
  capacity dropped to 65,6% (form 66,5%) according to the latest release from the National Statistics and Census Office.

• Friday, February 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Duhalde ratifies Mercosur support for Toledo

  Mercosur expressed its full support to Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo and called on the people and leaders of the country to defend the democratic system “in the framework of respect to constitutional principles”.