Mercosur

• Thursday, February 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Latinamerica lobbies against US migration bill

  The “March for Migrants” arrived Wednesday in Washington to lobby for the defeat of pending legislation that will allow the construction of a double fence along the US/Mexico border in an attempt to stem the flow of illegal Latinamerican immigration to the US.

• Thursday, February 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  HMS Southampton rendezvous with Roz Savage

  HMS Southampton made a brief rendezvous this week with solo British oarswoman, Roz Savage, the only solo female entrant in the Atlantic Rowing Race. Savage was in good spirits and accepting nothing but a Valentine card from the crew.

• Thursday, February 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Haiti: Preval declared President

  Haiti's interim government and the electoral council have declared René Préval the winner of the presidential election, ending frantic negotiations to stop violent street demonstrations in the impoverished Caribbean nation.

• Thursday, February 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  British Gas to provide Chile's energy alternative

  British Gas was the winner of the international bid to develop Chile's natural gas mega project, which has the purpose of ensuring the country's natural gas supply in the coming years plus gradually cutting back on the high dependency on Argentine sources.

• Thursday, February 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Lula da Silva requests support for bio-diesel project

  Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva asked Thursday the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to study the possibility of financing infrastructure projects and biodiesel production in Brazil.

• Thursday, February 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile conditions 1.5 billion US dollars mining project

  Chile's environmental authorities approved the controversial 1.5 billion US dollars mining project proposed by Canada's mining giant Barrick Gold on Wednesday but with several conditions placed on the development of the mine.

• Thursday, February 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Bernanke forecasts “significant” recovery of US economy

  Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke forecasted Thursday the United States economy will show a “significant” recovery this quarter and called on China to make its currency more flexible.

• Thursday, February 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  One out of four Latinamericans live on less than 2 US dollars

  One out of four Latinamericans lives with less than two US dollars per day according to a World Bank paper on poverty in the region. A total of 135 million people are catalogued as “poor” with Nicaragua, Jamaica and Bolivia having the highest percentage of population in that category, over 40%.

• Thursday, February 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine economy expanded 9.1% in 2005

  The Argentine economy expanded at a nerve breaking 9.1% in 2005, completing three years of explosive growth based on agriculture, the automobile industry and construction, reported Thursday the Central Bank.

• Thursday, February 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  FAM outbreak “totally under control”

  Argentine livestock health authorities stated that the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the northeastern province of Corrientes, reported at the beginning of the month was “totally under control”.