Mercosur

• Monday, January 30th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Pinochet Daughter Drops U.S. Asylum Bid

  The oldest daughter of former dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet returned to Chile Saturday to face tax evasion charges after dropping a surprise bid for political asylum in the United States, where she said she lived “a nightmare.”

• Saturday, January 28th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Abrupt slowdown of US economy in last quarter

  United States economic growth slowed to its weakest rate in three years in the last quarter of 2005 ending the year with an overall expansion of 3.5%, down from the 4.2% of 2004.

• Saturday, January 28th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  “Green fuel” car launched in Mexican market

  A Honda hybrid sedan was launched Friday in the Mexican market, which became the first Latin American country to offer consumers a car that runs on both gasoline and electricity.

• Saturday, January 28th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  London shooting: Brazil sends another mission

  Brazil will send another mission to the United Kingdom to investigate the death of the national Jean Charles de Menezes, shot dead by British police who mistook him for a terrorist, the Foreign Affairs ministry announced Friday in Brasilia.

• Saturday, January 28th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Lowest unemployment in Chile since 1998

  Unemployment in Chile dropped to 6.9% during the last quarter of 2005 ending the twelve months with 8%, the lowest since 1998 reported Friday the Chilean Statistics Institute.

• Friday, January 27th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  South American mega-pipeline might be pipe dream

  Pipeline or pipe dream? The Pharaonic trans-Amazon natural gas conduit whose concept was approved amid much fanfare by the leaders of Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina this month makes little economic or technical sense, could cause great ecological damage and may end up being a figment of overly ambitious political imaginations, analysts told EFE.

• Friday, January 27th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean, Mexican presidents tout bilateral accord

  Chilean President Ricardo Lagos and his Mexican counterpart, Vicente Fox, signed an agreement Thursday to strengthen their nations' political and economic ties and bolster bilateral cooperation.

• Friday, January 27th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Cunard boss to meet QM2 passengers

  Disgruntled holidaymakers travelling on board the troubled Queen Mary 2 are meeting the boss of operator Cunard after the company revealed they would be receiving a full refund.

• Thursday, January 26th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  China noses out UK as world's fourth economy

  China's economy spurred by strong export growth and foreign investment expanded 9.9% in 2005, according to data released Wednesday that suggests it may now rank fourth-biggest in the world.

• Thursday, January 26th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  2005, the hottest year on record and more to come

  The highest global surface temperature in more than a century of instrumental data was recorded in the 2005 calendar year according to a report from the United States Space Agency.