Mercosur

• Saturday, December 27th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile confirms optimistic economic forecast.

  The Chilean government on Friday confirmed its optimistic economic forecast for next year, with projected GDP growth of nearly 5 percent.

• Saturday, December 27th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Mad Cow Likely to Hurt U.S. Beef Industry.

  Though officials haven't yet estimated the financial fallout from the first U.S. case of mad cow disease, the Bush administration told Congress in 2001 that the beef industry could lose $15 billion.

• Friday, December 26th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Xmas spending recovers in Argentina

  Argentines returned to stores this Christmas season after two years when holiday spending was negligible amid an economic depression, a report released Thursday indicated.

• Thursday, December 25th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Pope asks Christ to deliver mankind from war and terrorism.

  Pope John Paul II asked Christ to deliver mankind from the armed conflicts that are tearing apart entire regions of the world and the plague of terrorism.

• Wednesday, December 24th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean administration recovers support.

  The Chilean administration of President Ricardo Lagos has a 47% public opinion support, but 32% still express disapproval, according to the latest poll made public this week by the prestigious “Fundación Futuro” from Santiago.

• Wednesday, December 24th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  “Mad cow” in US brings hope to organic producers

  The outbreak of the first “mad cow” case in the United States could force a rise of beef prices in the international market benefiting organic producing countries such as Uruguay and Argentina.

• Tuesday, December 23rd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Foreign recipes? No way!

  The International Monetary Fund came in for further attack from President Néstor Kirchner yesterday, at an event in the Peronist stronghold of Mataderos.

• Tuesday, December 23rd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguay's Broad Front proclaims Vazquez as presidential candidate.

  The leader of Uruguay's leftist Broad Front (FA) coalition, oncologist Tabare Vazquez, was announced at the organization's political convention Sunday as its presidential candidate for the general elections in October 2004.

• Monday, December 22nd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Enriched uranium controversy in Brazil.

  Since Brazil recently announced it had developed its own technology to enrich uranium the United Nations Atomic Energy International Agency, AEIA, has been pushing for site inspections, apparently so far to no avail.

• Monday, December 22nd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  IMF aid for Paraguay

  The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a 15-month SDR 50 million (about US$73 million) Stand-By Arrangement for Paraguay to support the country's economic program.