Mercosur

• Thursday, June 22nd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchner okays up to 20% stake in Aerolineas

  The Argentine state will re-buy up to 20 percent of the airline it privatized in 1990, according to an agreement signed in Madrid yesterday.

• Wednesday, June 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Central American coast buffeted by storm surge

  Nearly 2,000 people in towns along Central America's Pacific coast have been evacuated due to the heavy storm surge affecting the region, civil protection authorities said Tuesday.

• Wednesday, June 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil unveils new bio-diesel fuel

  Brazil has developed a new diesel fuel mixed with vegetable oils that will sharply reduce its need for imported diesel, the state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA said yesterday

• Wednesday, June 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Embattled Varig desperately clings to last chance

  Brazil's embattled airline Varig announced a restructuring of domestic and international routes in a last ditch effort to explain the massive cancelling of flights that caused chaos in Brazilian air terminals.

• Wednesday, June 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean coalition divided over support for Venezuela

  The possibility that Chile does not support Venezuela for a non permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council and thus promoting a third alternative has triggered a bitter controversy inside the Chilean ruling coalition.

• Wednesday, June 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  US dollar at its highest in Chilean pesos in a year

  The exchange rate of the U.S. dollar in Chile closed on Monday at $548 pesos to the greenback, its highest value since August 29, 2005 and a three peso gain over last Friday's exchange rate.

• Wednesday, June 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivia's Morales targets private energy and mines

  Bolivian president Evo Morales plans to restore control over companies which at one time belonged to the government, but a decision regarding railways (half Chilean, half private Bolivian) plus telecommunications will be delayed.

• Wednesday, June 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  New currency with three zeros less for Venezuela

  Venezuela will introduce a new national currency that would knock three zeroes off the exchange value and could be renamed the “Nuevo Bolivar”.

• Tuesday, June 20th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Fears that IWC might become a “whalers' club”

  A nonbinding declaration critical of the 1982 decision to impose a moratorium on commercial whaling was approved by a 33-32 vote Sunday at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission in the Caribbean island of St Kitts.

• Tuesday, June 20th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile/Peru alliance to face “Asian challenge”

  Chile praised Peruvian elected president Alan Garcia and proposed both countries team up to do business and jointly addresses the “Asian challenge”.