Mercosur

• Monday, October 16th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil's growth estimate for 2006 down to 3%

  Brazil's one hundred leading corporations and independent analysts estimate that the country's growth this year will be in the range of 3% or lower, according to the latest report from the Central Bank.

• Monday, October 16th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Decisive referendum to widen the Panama Canal

  Next Sunday October 22 the Panamanian people will vote in a special referendum to widen the Panama Canal allowing for large container ships, a 5.5 billion US dollars project which is decisive for world trade and for the lifeblood of the country.

• Monday, October 16th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Guatemala/Venezuela deadlock opens door for another candidate

  Voting for one of Latinamerica's United Nations Security Council seats will go into a second day after delegates failed Monday to end a ten rounds deadlock.

• Saturday, October 14th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile tariffs on Argentine milk and cheese are official

  Chile made official the announced provisional safeguards against certain Argentina dairy products. An ad valorum 23% tariff has been imposed on the introduction of Argentine liquid and powder milk and Gouda cheese according to the Friday edition of the Official Gazette.

• Saturday, October 14th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  South Korean Ban Ki-moon confirmed UN Secretary General

  South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon has been formally voted the next United Nations secretary general by the General Assembly.

• Saturday, October 14th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Obesity in Europe has reached “epidemic proportions”

  Obesity in Europe has reached epidemic proportions and its prevalence has tripled in the last two decades while millions are ill-fed, according to the World Health Organization meeting in Copenhagen.

• Saturday, October 14th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Sauna for Russia's main Antarctic base

  Russia's Antarctic base Novola Sarevskaia where an Orthodox church was recently built will soon have a traditional “bania” sauna, reports Moscow's Vremia Novostei.

• Saturday, October 14th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina's country risk close to an all time record low

  Argentina's country risk dropped this week to 289 points the lowest in ten years and just a few points from the lowest ever reached in 1996 with 280 points.

• Saturday, October 14th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Nobel Peace Prize for the “banker of the poor”

  The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Friday the Nobel Peace Prize for 2006 was awarded, divided into two equal parts, to Bangladesh economist Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.

• Saturday, October 14th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Neighbors restless with Bolivia/Venezuela defense treaty

  Venezuelan troops could be called in to help if Bolivia is faced with an internal conflict, according to Peruvian officials' reading of the recent Venezuela/Bolivia defense treaty singed by presidents Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales.