Mercosur

• Monday, September 18th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  When Castro is gone: “peace and reconciliation”

  Cuban dissident Oswaldo Paya says he fears the Castro regime will begin killing opponents if it feels threatened, though he also detects in the events surrounding Fidel Castro's illness signs of impending rapid change in Cuba.

• Sunday, September 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez ignores Calderon and praises Lopez Obrador

  Venezuela's Hugo Chavez reiterated Sunday in Caracas that his government “does not recognize the president elect of Mexico” who he said “represents a desperate extreme right which appeals to all sorts of dirty tricks”, although “it's difficult to see them hail victory”.

• Sunday, September 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  IMF begins biggest shake up in six decades

  The International Monetary Fund, IMF, is scheduled to begin addressing Monday “the biggest shake up in six decades” of the multilateral organization, according to Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown who chairs the top steering committee.

• Sunday, September 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazilian television calls Malvinas “Falklands”

  Brazil's main television station international signal, TV Globo refers to the Malvinas Islands as “Falklands”, complained the Argentine agency DYN.

• Sunday, September 17th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Mild quake rocks northwest Argentina and Chile

  A mid scale earthquake rocked Sunday northwestern Argentina and upper central Chile. In Argentina according to the Inpress seismology Institute it reached a 5.8 magnitude but no injuries or damages were reported.

• Saturday, September 16th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile ready for four days of celebrations

  Saturday kicks off four days of “Fiestas Patrias” celebrations as the entire Chilean nation celebrates its Declaration of Independence from Spain, nearly two centuries ago.

• Saturday, September 16th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile, fifth largest economy in the region

  Chile is poised to become Latinamerica's fifth largest economy, ahead of Colombia according to estimates from the International Monetary Fund. Chile GDP is forecasted to reach 140.3 billion US dollars and Colombia's 129.3 billion.

• Saturday, September 16th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  IMF recommendations for Latinamerica

  Latinamerican countries could be better prepared to face the risk of recession if they followed the example of Chile and saved some of their budget surpluses by converting them into stabilisation funds, suggested the IMF during its annual joint assembly with the World Bank in Singapore.

• Saturday, September 16th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Koffi pays tribute to Fidel

  United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan paid tribute to Fidel Castro for his global leadership and called on developing nations yesterday to accept new responsibilities at home and around the world.

• Saturday, September 16th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivia's energy minister quits

  Just hours after Bolivian President Evo Morales said he trusted “differences” could be worked out with Brazil's Petrobras, riled by a move to seize its refinery revenue, Morales' energy minister resigned.