Mercosur

• Tuesday, June 3rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Breaking News.

  Headlines:
  Hot line Buenos Aires-Brasilia; Trade surplus in Argentina; Controversy over exchange rate; Democrats warn about US deficit; Record crop in Brazil; “We're determined to kill and dismember inflation”; “We're determined to kill and dismember inflation”

• Monday, June 2nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Protectionism, social exclusion and terrorism.

  Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva proposed this Sunday in his speech before the leaders of the G 8 (the seven richest countries plus Russia) meeting in Envian, France the creation of a global fund to combat hunger and poverty. Suggestions for the funding are taxing world arms trade and reinvesting part of the interests accruing from loans to developing countries.

• Monday, June 2nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchner-Powell meeting June 10

  United States Secretary of State Colin Powell will be meeting Argentine President Nestor Kirchner in Buenos Aires next June 10, following the top US official participation in a regional summit in Santiago de Chile.

• Monday, June 2nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Governance and stability.

  Democratic governance as essential for institutional stability will be the main point of the coming Organization of American States General Assembly agenda that is scheduled to take place in Santiago de Chile. Delegations representing 34 countries of the three Americas are expected including US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

• Saturday, May 31st 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil's Lula to propose G-8 nations help developing countries.

  President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will ask the leaders of the world's richest nations to fund social programs in developing countries, government officials reported last night Friday 30th.

• Friday, May 30th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchner overhauls top brass.

  Argentina's new president Nestor Kirchner who shocked the Armed Forces by a drastic overhaul of the high command warned the military on Thursday to steer clear of politics. Speaking at an event to mark the 193rd anniversary of the creation of the country's army, President Kirchner - in his fifth day on the job - said it was not the military's duty to judge the actions of an elected government.

• Thursday, May 29th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  EU proposes speedier tariff reduction.

  The European Union requested from Mercosur a speedier market opening for a list of European agricultural and industrial goods in the framework of the current trade liberalization discussions. Mercosur and the European Union exchanged this Wednesday in Brussels demands to improve the liberalization lists presented last March.

• Thursday, May 29th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Bush signs 300 billion dollars tax cut bill.

  United States president George Bush signed this Wednesday in a pompous ceremony in the White House the bill that contemplates tax cuts equivalent to 330 billion US dollars in ten years, plus an additional 20 billion to support deficit strapped states.

• Thursday, May 29th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Lula turns right for help.

  Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva finally managed a Congressional majority after a center right party decided to join the ruling coalition and so ensure the approval in Congress of crucial reforms in social security and the taxing system.

• Wednesday, May 28th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Positions on Falklands/Malvinas “remain intact”.

  No changes are expected in the current sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, with both Britain and Argentina holding their positions. This seems to have been the message from Sir Gareth Williams, president of the House of Lords, Prime Minister Tony Blair' special envoy to the assumption of Argentine president Nestor Kirchner who also praised the institutional stability of the country and said much could be advanced in fields of mutual interest.