Mercosur

• Tuesday, May 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  French president begins visit to Brazil and Chile

  French president Jacques Chirac begins this week a four days state visit to Brazil and Chile to tighten political links with countries committed to “multilateralism” and international solidarity as well as to strengthen trade.

• Monday, May 22nd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  “Friendly” Ecuador on collision course with US

  Ecuador is a “friendly” country but will defend its interests warned Ecuadorian president Alfredo Palacio in a live national broadcast in direct reference to dispute with U.S. Occidental Petroleum which is also threatening a free trade agreement with United States.

• Monday, May 22nd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazilians protest violence in Dignity Day

  Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets of the country's main cities on Sunday to protest the attacks and ensuing violence that rocked Sao Paulo for almost a week with a death toll of 172 plus hundreds wounded and arrested.

• Monday, May 22nd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Montserrat Volcano Ash Grounds Flights

  A huge cloud of ash billowing from an island volcano forced the suspension of some international flights over the Caribbean on Sunday, airline and airport officials said.

• Monday, May 22nd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Peru challengers hold TV debate

  The two men vying to become Peru's next leader have faced each other in a debate two weeks ahead of the country's run-off presidential election.

• Monday, May 22nd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile president pushes social agenda

  President Michelle Bachelet said yesterday that Chile will use some of the billions of dollars from its booming copper exports to advance her social agenda, creating 130,000 jobs while investing in health, housing and education.

• Monday, May 22nd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Air pollution unites ordinary Spaniards and Gibraltar

  Although there are areas of disagreement between Gibraltar and Spain, ordinary people in both countries are united in being deeply concerned after an incident at the weekend.

• Sunday, May 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Red Ensign Group Conference in Bermuda

  A shipping conference for United Kingdom Overseas Territories and crown dependencies has been taking place at Bermuda.

• Sunday, May 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  “Mad about Malvinas, but that's it”

  Malvinas/Falklands, vindication of war veterans, the two British-Argentine armed conflicts, Argentina's cornucopia and corruption, Guido di Tella and current British-Argentine relations are some of the issues addressed by The Buenos Aires Herald Andrew Graham-Yooll in a long interview with La Nacion.

• Sunday, May 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Monserrat volcano erupts

  A dome that had been growing atop the volcano on this Caribbean island collapsed Saturday, sending debris cascading down the mountain and raining ash over a wide area, scientists said. No injuries were reported.