Mercosur

• Wednesday, May 24th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chirac ready for “a trade deal” arrives in Brazil

  French president Jacques Chirac who Thursday begins a two days visit to Brazil called on “both sides” to overcome the current disagreements on farm tariffs and subsidies that have pitted Mercosur against the European Union in international trade talks.

• Tuesday, May 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  UN call to curtail high seas overfishing

  Government representatives attending a conference in New York aimed at improving measures to preserve ocean fish stocks called on Monday for more States to ratify a United Nations agreement aimed at reversing the dramatic declines seen in recent years.

• Tuesday, May 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bush and Chavez exchange “compliments”

  United States is “concerned about the erosion of democracy” in Venezuela and Bolivia said Monday US president George Bush following a restaurant industry question-reply convention in Chicago.

• Tuesday, May 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Inflation scare depress world markets

  Major Latinamerican stock markets plunged Monday following remarks in Vienna from International Monetary Fund Managing Director Rodrigo Rato who anticipated the Federal Reserve may need to continue raising interest rates depending upon how economic conditions evolve in the United States

• 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.