Mercosur

• Thursday, December 4th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Mercosur and EU resume talks

  Mercosur and European Union representatives resumed talks this week in Brussels in accordance with the timetable agreed November 12 that schedules a final understanding for October 2004 when a political, economic and cooperation association agreement between both blocks should be ready to be signed.

• Thursday, December 4th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Breaking News.

  Headlines:
  Argentine inflation totals 3,4%; Stronger and stronger Chilean peso; November prices expand 0,16% in Uruguay

• Thursday, December 4th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Senate removes Supreme Court judge

  Argentina's Senate voted by a two-thirds majority Wednesday to remove Supreme Court Judge Eduardo Moline O'Connor from the bench for malfeasance.

• Wednesday, December 3rd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Bill Rammell with President Lagos.

  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Bill Rammell underlined the strong trade and political ties between Britain and Chile during a two days visit to Santiago.

• Wednesday, December 3rd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Consulate “intruders” free.

  Four members of the Chilean Army involved in the breaking in of the Argentine Consulate in Punta Arenas three weeks ago and who remained under arrest, were set free “to help with the investigation and military Justice actions”.

• Wednesday, December 3rd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile denies arms race.

  Chilean Defence Minister Michelle Bachelet strongly denied that recent Chilean weapons acquisitions could alter the South American military balance, as insistently claimed by Peruvian Congress members and retired military officers.

• Wednesday, December 3rd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  World growth remains insufficient.

  The expansion of the world economy is too weak to create sufficient jobs for the growing demand of job seekers, according to the latest report from the prestigious United States private think tank Conference Board.

• Tuesday, December 2nd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazilian stock exchange record.

  The Bovesopa index of the Sao Paulo stock exchange, the most dynamic and influential of Brazil reached last week for the first time since its creation 35 years ago, 20,000 points. The peak reflected market reaction to the official announcement that the Brazilian recession was over since the GDP in the third quarter expanded 0,4%.

• Tuesday, December 2nd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil marks AIDS Day

  Brazil, considered a leader in the fight against HIV, marked World AIDS Day Monday with marches by youths that joined their voices to a campaign to prevent discrimination against people suffering from the dreaded disease or infected with the virus that causes it.

• Tuesday, December 2nd 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Anti-chávez petition ends

  Opponents of Hugo Chávez, Venezuela's president, appeared on Monday to have gathered more than enough signatures to trigger a recall referendum on his rule, although the government rejected the petition as a “mega-fraud”.