Mercosur

• Monday, May 9th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  South America, Arab leaders summit.

  Minister from 33 South American and Middle Eastern on Sunday began preparing the groundwork for the first-event summit of leaders from two regions.

• Monday, May 9th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Europe marks 60 years since WWII

  Prince Charles wore naval uniform as he laid a wreath before London's monument to the dead of both World Wars, while U.S. President George W. Bush paid tribute to American lives lost in the 1939-45 conflict at a cemetery in the Netherlands.

• Monday, May 9th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina upbeat over IMF meeting

  Top Argentine officials will travel to Washington on Monday night to begin face-to-face talks with the International Monetary Fund over a new programme.

• Monday, May 9th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez warns oil companies: “pay your taxes or leave”

  Oil corporations operating in Venezuela must pay to the government tax arrears, “retroactive plus interest”, or “abandon the country” warned Monday president Hugo Chavez during his Sunday national radio and television show, “Aló president”.

• Monday, May 9th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Mexico City's mayor begins presidential race July 31

  Mexico City's mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador the most popular politician in the country announced Monday that he would step down this summer to begin his bid for the presidency of Mexico. Resignation would be effective July 31.

• Monday, May 9th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguay: ruling coalition winner in municipal elections

  For the first time ever Uruguay's centre left wing ruling coalition swept away with eight of the country's 19 electoral districts in last Sunday's municipal elections.

• Saturday, May 7th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Mexico City Mayor Sounding Like Candidate

  It's a moment for the reaffirmation of democracy,“ Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said. ”On that topic there cannot be a step back.”

• Saturday, May 7th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Earlier squid season proposed in Argentina

  Argentina's Fishing Industry Chamber, CIPA, has requested the Fisheries Federal Council to advance the next squid season beginning January 2006, instead of the traditional month of February.

• Saturday, May 7th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Martin Garvie, Member of the British Empire

  Martin Andrew Garvie, well known teacher and school principal at schools in Buenos Aires, was included in the 2005 New Year Honours list with an MBE, awarded by the British Crown, for services to education and English language teaching in Argentina.

• Saturday, May 7th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Dollar jumps vs euro, modest gains on yen

  The dollar was sharply higher versus the euro yesterday; climbing after the US reported an unexpectedly large increase in April job creation.