Mercosur

• Wednesday, September 17th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Fed leaves rate unchanged at 1%.

  The United States Federal Open Market Committee decided this Tuesday to keep its target for the federal funds rate at 1 percent. FOMC argued that “the risk of inflation becoming undesirably low remains the predominant concern for the foreseeable future”

• Wednesday, September 17th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Pinochet's legacy on the spotlight.

  Human rights militants protested this weekend the presence in the port of Buenos Aires of the Chilean Navy school vessel “Esmeralda” which is claimed that during the military regime of General Pinochet became a centre of “torture and extermination”.

• Wednesday, September 17th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  US requests Mercosur troops for Iraq.

  The Bush administration has begun contacts with governments of three major Mercosur members with the purpose of inviting them to participate in a 15,000 strong multinational peace keeping force in Iraq.

• Wednesday, September 17th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Cheeky old dictator.

  Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet managed plenty of limelight during the recent commemoration of the September 11 thirtieth anniversary when he violently toppled elected Socialist president Salvador Allende imposing a 17 year military dictatorship.

• Wednesday, September 17th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  “Blond angel of death” arrested.

  The notorious former Argentine Navy officer Alfredo Astiz, also known as the “blond angel of death”, has been rearrested in connection with alleged human rights abuses during the 1976/1983 military rule.

• Tuesday, September 16th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  “Growth budget” for Argentina.

  The 2004 Argentine budget that was sent this Monday to Congress is a “growth budget” with significant increases in investments, and not an “adjustment budget”, said Argentine president Nestor Kirchner.

• Tuesday, September 16th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Five million disregarded the polls.

  In spite of the positive press reports and the Argentine government satisfaction with the Sunday election results that ensure a comfortable majority in Congress for president Nestor Kirchner, actually four million Argentines didn't bother to go to the polls and another million expressed their dissatisfaction.

• Monday, September 15th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguay: Expo Prado sales reach 400,000 US dollars.

  Sales in the main Uruguayan Agriculture show that closed doors until next September, reached 391,695 US dollars but the sum could jump to over 400,000 once the off track private sales are fully recorded.

• Monday, September 15th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Ibarra reelected Buenos Aires mayor.

  Buenos Aires Mayor Anibal Ibarra won reelection in Sunday's municipal and regional balloting, defeating businessman Mauricio Macri. The victory is also a great achievement for President Kirchner who openly supported Ibarra when he was trailing by 20 points in the opinion polls.

• Monday, September 15th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Cancun WTO talks collapse.

  Negotiations at the fifth ministerial round of World Trade Organization, WTO, held during four days in Cancún, Mexico, concluded without having reached an understanding for the second time in four years when rich and poor nations proved unable to conciliate differences.