Mercosur

• Thursday, June 29th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Fed raises interest to 5.25% to curb inflation pressures

  The Federal Reserve raised Thursday its interest rate 25 basic points to 5.25%, the highest level in five years, with the purpose of limiting inflation pressures.

• Thursday, June 29th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Strong peso makes Chile the most expensive in South America

  Chile became in 2005 the most expensive country South American country to live in, followed by Brazil and Uruguay, while the cheapest are Bolivia and Paraguay, according to a report released this week by the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute, IBGE.

• Wednesday, June 28th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  “Express” kidnappings alarm Buenos Aires

  A new wave of “express” kidnappings is causing alarm among the residents of Buenos Aires and its suburbs.

• Wednesday, June 28th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  UK confirms: “no Falklands' sovereignty talks”

  United Kingdom will not negotiate the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands “unless and until the Islanders wish us to do so” said Tuesday a British Embassy source in Buenos Aires.

• Wednesday, June 28th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile and Panama sign free trade pact

  Chile and Panama yesterday signed a free trade agreement that will eliminate 98 percent of tariffs on trade between the countries within 10 years.

• Wednesday, June 28th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile aquires four new F-16 fighter jets

  Four F-16 fighter jets purchased from the United States arrived Tuesday at the Los Cóndores Air Base in Iquique. Two jets arrived earlier this year and another four will join the fleet by the end of 2006 as part of a large-scale renovation of Chile's Air Force.

• Wednesday, June 28th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Peruvian Congress ratifies U.S. trade pact by 79 to 14

  The Peruvian Congress overwhelmingly voted early Wednesday morning to ratify a free trade pact with the United States brushing aside claims Peru's farmers would go broke under a flood of subsidized among others, cotton, rice, corn and potatoes.

• Wednesday, June 28th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Morales signs new gas agreement in Argentina

  Argentina will pay 5 US dollars for every million BTU of Bolivian natural gas, up from the current price of 3.20 US dollars, announced the Bolivian embassy in Buenos Aires.

• Tuesday, June 27th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  More voters than people in Venezuelan Electoral Roll

  Venezuela has more above 45 registered voters in the Electoral Roll than population, claims one of Caracas leading newspapers, El Nacional.

• Tuesday, June 27th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina honors Malvinas' war dead

  Argentina's Defence minister Nilda Garré paid tribute on Monday to all military and civilian personnel who died during the Malvinas Islands war, and whose courage in combat she contrasted with the dictatorship's “irresponsible decision” to take Argentina to war in 1982.