Mercosur

• Thursday, November 13th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Peru-US free trade talks.

  Peru announced that next week formal talks for a bilateral free trade agreement will commence in Washington.

• Thursday, November 13th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Hot News from Chile.

  Headlines:
  Chilean peso eases appreciation; Lawsuit against Lan Chile.

• Thursday, November 13th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Soros campaigns against Bush's re-election.

  Hungarian born tycoon George Soros and now United States resident made a donation of five million US dollars to a campaign to prevent the re-election of president George Bush in 2004, according to The Washington Post.

• Thursday, November 13th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Vessel with radioactive waste avoids Cape Horn.

  The “Fret Moselle” transporting nuclear residue from Australia to France will not be crossing Cape Horn in the extreme of South America as originally suspected, according to reports from Argentine and Chilean diplomatic sources.

• Thursday, November 13th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  UK denies extradition of Iranian diplomat.

  The British government decided on Wednesday to turn down Argentina's request for the extradition of a former Iranian diplomat Buenos Aires wants in connection with the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center that left 85 dead and 200 wounded.

• Thursday, November 13th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Thunderstorms kills 13 in Argentina.

  Thunderstorms that swept furiously across central Argentina late Tuesday and all of Wednesday left thirteen dead and caused widespread damage extending to neighbouring Uruguay as the rain, strong winds and hail moved east.

• Wednesday, November 12th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Spanish monarchs begin visit to Argentina.

  Spanish monarchs King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia began last night their fourth official visit to Argentina determined to consolidate what Spanish officials describe as the “very good relations” between both countries.

• Wednesday, November 12th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine judge to subpoena foreign bankers.

  An Argentine federal judge will subpoena German, American and Swiss bank executives for questioning about an alleged multi-million-dollar asset-stripping scheme that hurt thousands of Argentine and Uruguayan investors.

• Wednesday, November 12th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina, Chile say they'll surmount consulate incident.

  The governments of Argentina and Chile agreed Tuesday that the “excellence” of their bilateral ties will make it possible to surmount the flap created when two Chilean army spies were caught burglarizing an Argentine consulate in the neighboring country.

• Tuesday, November 11th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  French oil demands $1 billion compensation from Argentina.

  French oil giant Total is demanding a billion US dollars compensation from Argentina before a World Bank investment protection arbitration tribunal arguing that the 2002 freeze of hydrocarbons prices and derivates, plus the devaluation of the Argentine currency has caused massive losses to the company.