Mercosur

• Saturday, March 25th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile expects another difficult year for gas supply

  Foreign Affairs Minister Alejandro Foxley struck a pessimistic this week regarding Argentine natural gas supplies to Chile: ”It is absurd to try to deny it to Chileans; this year (the gas issue) will be even more complicated than last”.

• Saturday, March 25th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Significant drop in mad cow cases reports UN

  In good news on the health front, a United Nations agency reported this week an annual 50% drop worldwide over the past three years in cases of Bovine Spongiform Encepalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, blamed for causing a fatal degenerative illness in humans.

• Saturday, March 25th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Wildlife watching becoming multi billion industry

  Wildlife watching is fast becoming a multi-million if not multi-billion dollar industry with the potential to fight poverty by pumping vital income into local communities and conservation initiatives and showing that many wild animals were “worth far more alive than dead,” according to a U.N. report released today.

• Saturday, March 25th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile confirms purchase of 118 Leopard II tanks

  The Chilean Ministry of Defence confirmed Friday in Santiago the purchase of 118 German made Leopard II tanks, which will replace armored equipment from the Chilean Army

• Saturday, March 25th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Pulp mills dispute: announced summit “conditioned”

  Suspending the construction of the controversial pulp mills is a previous “condition” to the scheduled summit of Uruguay and Argentina's presidents, warned this Friday in Buenos Aires Chief of cabinet Alberto Fernandez.

• Saturday, March 25th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine says not just military was behind the dictatorship

  Argentina's president told his compatriots Friday that not only the military was responsible for the coup 30 years ago that ushered in nightmarish years of abduction, torture and murder, but that significant parts of the citizenry, the church, the press and political parties must also shoulder a portion of the blame.

• Friday, March 24th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Gibraltar complains MOD airport fees hike

  United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence is considering a second increase to landing fees at Gibraltar airport, just weeks after it hiked the charges by 8.4%.

• Friday, March 24th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina marks coup anniversary

  Thousands of Argentines swayed to protest songs Friday at an early morning vigil marking the 30th anniversary of a military coup that ushered in the country's Dirty War.

• Friday, March 24th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguay Argentine presidential summit

  The crisis between Uruguay and Argentina seems to be heading to a solution as people from both nations have great expectations over the meeting their presidents will hold next Wednesday.

• Thursday, March 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Petrobras chief supports trans-continent gas pipeline

  The director of the Brazilian government owned gas and energy agency Petrobras, Ildo Sauer, said that Venezuela has enough gas and that the project could achieve the financial unification of the subcontinent.