Mercosur

• Wednesday, May 3rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Cuba: “world's second largest prison for journalists”

  Cuba remained in 2005 the Latin American country where reporters are most exposed to government violence and holds the deplorable honour of being “the world's second-largest prison for journalists” behind China according to Reporters Without Borders, RSF, 167 country annual index.

• Wednesday, May 3rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivia's energy move: urgent regional summit

  An urgent regional presidential summit has been called for next Thursday to be held in northern Argentina following Bolivia's Monday decision to take over the country's energy industry.

• Wednesday, May 3rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Spain warns Bolivia about “bilateral relations”

  The Spanish government said Tuesday it was “deeply concerned” with the nationalization of Bolivia's energy industry and warned that the move would have “consequences for bilateral relations”.

• Wednesday, May 3rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazilian bank takes over regional BankBoston

  Bank of America Corporation, the second largest United States bank announced Tuesday it had agreed to exchange its BankBoston operation in Brazil for 2.2 billion US dollars in shares from Brazil's second strongest private financial institution, Banco Itaú.

• Wednesday, May 3rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Fears about Bolivia's energy supplier “reliability”

  Brazil's all powerful industrial lobby doubts that Bolivia will remain a reliable supplier of natural gas in the wake of the country's decision to nationalize hydrocarbons' resources.

• Wednesday, May 3rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Latinamerica needs to create 126 million jobs

  Facing an employment deficit of 126 million jobs in the coming decade, Latin America must not only increase its business competitiveness, but also move towards more “employment-rich” growth of the economy, the head of the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) said Wednesday.

• Wednesday, May 3rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivia guarantees gas supplies to Argentina and Brazil

  The president of Bolivia's government hydrocarbons corporation YPFB, Jorge Alvarado Rivas guaranteed gas supplies to Argentina and Brazil but also called for “understanding” following the country's decision to nationalize the energy sector.

• Wednesday, May 3rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Gold symposium in Peru

  The shimmering gold that was the symbol Inca kings power and glory, and brought razing Spanish conquistadores still abounds in Peru and continues to attract investors.

• Wednesday, May 3rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  16.119 species listed “threatened with extinction”

  The total number of species declared officially Extinct is 784 and a further 65 are only found in captivity or cultivation. Of the 40,177 species assessed using The World Conservation Union, (IUCN) Red List criteria, 16,119 are now listed as threatened with extinction.

• Wednesday, May 3rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Ecuador supports Bolivia if contracts are respected

  Ecuador supports Bolivian President Evo Morales' decision to nationalize the country's hydrocarbons resources, as long as Bolivia respects existing contracts with foreign corporations.