Mercosur

• Tuesday, May 9th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Venezuela's council of ministers reportedly approves 33.3% oil royalty

  The new levy, which President Hugo Chavez' s cabinet passed on Monday, will be imposed to all oil businesses operating in Venezuela. Revenues of USD 1.34 billion a year are expected.

• Tuesday, May 9th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile: Medical leader and Legislators call for stronger action to fight Santiago pollut.

  Santiago's environmental situation is “untenable,” said Juan Luis Castro, the president of Chile's medical association, and implored President Michelle Bachelet to seriously address the issue during her term in office.

• Tuesday, May 9th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina, Uruguay in new UN Human Rights Council

  Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Cuba are among Latin American countries elected to the newly-created United Nations Human Rights Council, which will replace the Geneva-based Human Rights Commission.

• Monday, May 8th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Contamination in Chile's capital city of Santiago grows worse

  Greater Restrictions On Car Traffic Foreseen, As Santiago's Polluted Air Becomes Increasingly Unbearable

• Monday, May 8th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Copper boom prompts Chile into saving mode

  Few countries are benefiting quite as much from the bonanza in raw material prices as Chile, Latin America's fourth largest economy.

• Monday, May 8th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivia studying hiking natural gas price by 65% plus

  Bolivia is aiming to raise prices on its natural gas exports to Argentina by up to 65 percent, its planning minister said in an interview with a leading Argentine newspaper on Sunday.

• Monday, May 8th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil considering new sources of natural gas

  Brazil is considering buying natural gas from other countries including Nigeria after its main supplier, Bolivia, demanded higher prices.

• Sunday, May 7th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  “Iluminados por el Fuego” (Blessed by Fire) won the best narrative film at Tribeca Festival

  A documentary about the Iraq war and a film about the lasting impact on soldiers' lives of a conflict more than 20 years ago won the top awards at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York on Saturday.

• Saturday, May 6th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bush praises Mexican contribution to US society

  United States president George W. Bush said again that the problem of illegal immigration can only be solved through a combination of tighter border security and a guest-worker program, but also stressed that immigrants have a duty to integrate into American society.

• Saturday, May 6th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Venezuela makes official “junior” partners for oil industry

  Venezuela's only chamber legislature which has no opposition representatives approved the new contract model contract for “mixed enterprises” in which state-owned oil company PDVSA becomes the dominant partner.