Mercosur

• Thursday, March 30th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Currency appreciation makes Brazil leading Latam economy

  Brazil became the leading Latinamerican economy in 2005, ahead of Mexico, and ranked eleventh in the world according to data released Thursday by the country's Geography and Statistics Institute.

• Thursday, March 30th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Migrant workers remittances reach 53.6 billion US dollars

  Migrant workers from Latin America and the Caribbean sent home 53.6 billion to their families last year, a 17% increase over 2004 according to a survey released Thursday by the Inter-American Development Bank.

• Wednesday, March 29th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina reiterates Falklands' claim to Kofi Annan

  During a meeting Monday with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, Argentina reiterated its claim over the Falkland Islands and called for sovereignty negotiations with the United Kingdom.

• Wednesday, March 29th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguay/Argentina pulp mill summit postponed

  The Uruguayan/Argentine presidential summit scheduled for Wednesday to address the pulp mills dispute was postponed according to official releases from both governments.

• Wednesday, March 29th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean unemployment drops to 7.3%

  Chilean unemployment in the December-February quarter dropped to 7.3%, which is 0.3% less than the same period a year ago, according to the latest release from the country's Statistics Institute.

• Wednesday, March 29th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil's new minister calls for “civilized interest rates”

  Brazil's new Economy minister Guido Mantega said Wednesday Brazil needs “civilized interest rates” signaling the first difference with his predecessor Antonio Palocci who was forced to resign on claims of corruption.

• Wednesday, March 29th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Peru's Humala extends a hand to Chile

  Peru's ultra nationalist presidential candidate Ollanta Humala said that in the event of victory his government would seek closer ties with Chile's Michelle Bachelet with the purpose of establishing a bilateral integration policy.

• Wednesday, March 29th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Puerto Belgrano blocked for another week

  Leaders of the pickets that are blocking Puerto Belgrano, Argentina's main naval compound, in demand for higher salaries and improved working conditions estimate that an agreement can be reached sometime next week, reports La Nueva Provincia from Bahía Blanca.

• Tuesday, March 28th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  China forecasts slower growth this year: ?8.7%

  China's steam rolling economic growth will slow gradually towards the fourth quarter, according to a Chinese central bank report published in “China Securities Journal”.

• Tuesday, March 28th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bachelet opens main air show in Latinamerica

  Chilean president Michelle Bachelet opened Monday in Santiago the XVI Air and Space International Fair, FIDAE, one of the world's leading events of the aerospace industry which this year attracted over 300 companies from 40 different countries.