Mercosur

• Monday, May 5th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Reshuffle in Uruguayan cabinet.

  A reshuffle in the Uruguayan cabinet in the international relations area is expected in the coming weeks according ours sources in Montevideo.

• Monday, May 5th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Duhalde on kidnapping of Macri's daughter.

  President Eduardo Duhalde yesterday repudiated the kidnapping of Florencia Macri ? daughter of top local businessman Franco Macri ? and urged the Congress to pass a law to toughen sentences for kidnappers.

• Monday, May 5th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Kidnappers have released F Macri.

  Kidnappers have released at 5am today unharmed the 19-year-old daughter of an Italo-Argentine construction magnate after they collected $800,000 in ransom, Argentine police reported.

• Sunday, May 4th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Paraguayan elected president pressed to take office.

  Paraguayan leaders of the ruling party and the opposition have requested elected president Nicanor Duarte to advance the taking office date and replace outgoing caretaker president Luis González Macchi, who's described as the “negligent president”.

• Sunday, May 4th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean tourism industry recovering.

  After two successive negative summer seasons the number of tourists visiting Chile during the first quarter of 2003 increased 2,7% over the same period in 2002 according to the latest release from the Chilean National Tourism Service. The increase represented a 5% expansion in income equivalent to 20 million US dollars.

• Saturday, May 3rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Menem names his potential Cabinet.

  Economy, Carlos Melconián; Foreign Relations, Jorge Castro; Defence, Pablo Rojo; Education, Juan Tobías; Health, Alejandro Matera; Interior... could it be Adolfo Rodríguez Saá?

• Saturday, May 3rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina floods kill 16; 100,000 evacuated.

  The worst flooding to hit Argentina's farming heartland in memory has killed 16 people and forced 100,000 from their homes -- with some evacuees taking shelter in cemetery crypts -- officials said on Friday.

• Friday, May 2nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Daughter of Argentine tycoon kidnapped

  Florencia Macri, 19, the youngest daughter of Argentine industrial magnate Franco Macri, was kidnapped here by abductors demanding $1.5 million in ransom, police officials said Thursday.

• Thursday, May 1st 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Orthodox Lula pushed reforms.

  After a stern warning to the most radical Congressional members of his own party, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva personally delivered in Congress two reform bills that are crucial for his administration and the long term financial stability of Brazil.

• Wednesday, April 30th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchner: I'm my own man.

  Argentine presidential candidate Nestor Kirchner pointed out in interviews with the main newspapers of the country that support from the ruling President Eduardo Duhalde administration will not represent “any conditioning or pressure” if he's finally victorious in the May 18 run off.