Mercosur

• Tuesday, September 26th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina estimates 4% growtn, 7% inflation in 2007

  Emphasizing on a high exchange rate and a hefty budget surplus, Argentina's Economy Minister Felisa Miceli presented this week the 2007 federal budget in Congress with estimates of 4% growth and 7% inflation.

• Tuesday, September 26th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  PM bids farewell with victory call

  Tony Blair has delivered his farewell to Labour as leader, urging the party to stay true to his principles to win a fourth election victory.

• Monday, September 25th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  High-level comings and goings in the Falkland Islands

  The meeting of the Falkland Islands Legislative Council on Friday was the last to be attended in his official capacity, by the Islands' long-serving Attorney General, David Lang QC, who is shortly to retire.

• Sunday, September 24th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Spain claims sovereignty but advocates Gibraltar dialogue

  Spain's Foreign Affairs Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos restated this week his country's claim to sovereignty over Gibraltar before the General Assembly of the United Nations. >

• Sunday, September 24th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivia's Morales popularity faces mounting difficulties

  Bolivian President Evo Morales' approval rating dropped from 81 to 53% between May and September in the country's five main urban areas, according to a survey released Saturday in La Paz.

• Sunday, September 24th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  US apologizes for incident with Venezuelan official

  Venezuela has made a formal complaint to United States authorities and United Nations after Foreign Affairs minister Nicolas Maduro was detained Saturday for over an hour at New York's JFK airport.

• Sunday, September 24th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Lula set to win but scandals could condition second term

  With only seven days left for Brazil's October first general election, a public opinion poll published this weekend shows President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his re-election bid has not been dented by the recent string of scandals, although it could affect his second term political leadership.

• Sunday, September 24th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine pickets block bridges leading to Uruguay

  In a repeat of last summer demonstrations thousands of Argentine residents blocked Sunday two of three border-crossings to neighbouring Uruguay to protest the building of pulp mills on the Uruguayan side.

• Sunday, September 24th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile's exporters hit by their own success

  Beginning October 1, a new tariff of 7.4% will be imposed on Chilean agricultural exports to the United States due to restrictions mandated by the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.

• Saturday, September 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile demands removal of Venezuelan ambassador

  Chile is demanding Venezuela withdraw its ambassador from Santiago following “intolerable” comments about the ruling coalition's junior member the Christian Democrats, reports the Chilean press.