Mercosur

• Thursday, February 9th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chavez blasts Britain's Blair for comments on Venezuela

  President Hugo Chavez blasted Britain's Tony Blair on Wednesday for saying that Venezuela “should comply with the rules of the international community.”

• Thursday, February 9th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  US fighters 'yards from BA plane'

  Two American Air Force fighter planes came close to a British Airways regional passenger aircraft amid “general confusion”, an official accident report has said.

• Thursday, February 9th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  First case of H5N1 bird flu in Africa

  A deadly strain of bird flu has been discovered on a poultry farm in northern Nigeria, health officials said Wednesday, marking the virus's first known appearance in Africa.

• Thursday, February 9th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  “Mr Blair, return the Malvinas/Falkands to Argentina”

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez called on British Primer Minister Tony Blair to return the Malvinas/Falkland Islands to Argentina after naming him a “subordinate” of United States and accomplice in flouting international law.

• Thursday, February 9th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  More countries ban Argentine animal produce

  While Argentine animal health officials desperately try to find the origin of the foot and mouth disease outbreak in the northeastern province of Corrientes, the list of countries banning beef and other animal produce imports from Argentina keeps growing.

• Thursday, February 9th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  “Bad news” for South American beef producers

  The detection of foot-and-mouth in Argentina is bad news for major beef producers throughout southernmost South America admitted Brazilian and Uruguayan cattle breeders associations.

• Thursday, February 9th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Ecuador pushing for “fairer” share of oil windfall

  Ecuador is demanding foreign oil corporations extracting crude in the country's Amazon region to hand over half of the windfall enjoyed as a result of high global oil prices.

• Thursday, February 9th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Mercosur ministerial summit “postponed”

  Mercosur Foreign Affairs ministers' summit scheduled for next week in Buenos Aires has been suspended with no new date announce, given “agenda problems” of several participants, revealed Argentine diplomatic sources.

• Wednesday, February 8th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Haitians flock to landmark polls

  Haitians voted in overwhelming numbers in an election aimed at restoring democracy in the impoverished nation, swamping officials who struggled to cope with the large turnout.

• Wednesday, February 8th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Bolivia: Morales Asks U.S. to Reconsider Aid Cuts

  President Evo Morales asked the United States on Tuesday to reconsider a proposed cut in anti-drug aid to Bolivia, and called on the world to strengthen drug-fighting alliances.