Mercosur

• Sunday, October 19th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Bolivia's Mesa to announce new cabinet of non-politicians

  New Bolivian President Carlos Mesa Gisbert is to announce on Sunday his cabinet which is to be composed of non-politicians who he feels are the only ones able to put an end to the crisis which cost the job of his predecessor.

• Saturday, October 18th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivian Congress nominates new president.

  Vice-president Carlos Mesa is Bolivia's new president following the resignation letter of president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada. Bolivian Congress in a special night session accepted the resignation letter and voted in Mr. Mesa 84 to 26 votes.

• Friday, October 17th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Buenos Aires-Brasilia axis consolidates.

  Argentina and Brazil's presidents Nestor Kirchner and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva committed their countries this Thursday in Buenos Aires to the “political consolidation of Mercosur” with the purpose of “strengthening a joint position before the world” and ratified that trade negotiations involving United States must recognize the regional block.

• Friday, October 17th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  “South-South” trade round.

  Argentina will propose a round of “South-South” trade negotiations, an initiative which is a virtual challenge to current discussions in the framework of the World Trade Organization, WTO but condemned to failure by the protectionist policies of United State, European Union and Japan.

• Friday, October 17th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine-Brazilian delegation to Bolivia.

  Argentine and Brazilian presidents have sent two special envoys to Bolivia to help find a solution to the political and social crisis that has left a toll of dozens of protestors killed, virtually paralyzed all economic activity and has the country in the verge of an institutional meltdown.

• Thursday, October 16th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Breaking News from Argentina.

  Headlines:
  Zaffaroni set for Supreme Court; Bussi Busted; US Ambassador meet President Kirchner; Japan wants in.

• Thursday, October 16th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Ex-Argentine Officer Held in Disappearance

  A retired general considered one of the Argentine dictatorship's most hard-line military leaders was detained Wednesday in a lawmaker's disappearance in 1976.

• Wednesday, October 15th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Bush promises “strong dollar”; US to push for more markets in Pacific.

  United States president George Bush pledged full support for a “strong dollar” policy adding that “we expect the markets to reflect the true value of the currency” and “countries need to be mindful that we expect fair trade”.

• Wednesday, October 15th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  WTO addresses agriculture.

  Exactly one month after the failure of the World Trade Organization meeting in Cancun, Mexico, negotiations resumed in Geneva having agriculture as the leading issue.

• Wednesday, October 15th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  EU cautions about strong Euro

  Germany's Central Bank president Ernst Weltke cautioned this Tuesday in Frankfort about the negative consequences for European Union exports of a rapid appreciation of the Euro in money markets.