Mercosur

• Saturday, April 9th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Controversial regional elections in Bolivia

  Bolivia took another step towards a federal system government by calling the first election for governors of the Andean nation's nine provinces, which are scheduled for August 12.

• Saturday, April 9th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Political uncertainty looms over Mexico

  The attempt to rule out from next year' Mexican presidential race front-runner Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has created one of the most serious political storms in recent years.

• Saturday, April 9th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Castro doesn't “give a damn” about civil liberties

  Cuban President Fidel Castro says he does not “give a damn” about the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and whether it criticizes or not civil liberties in the island he has ruled since 1959.

• Friday, April 8th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  IMF warnings on oil prices and US dollar weakness

  Global economic growth could be affected if oil prices continue to surge, if United States trade deficit worsens and if US interest rates increase abruptly warned Thursday International Monetary Fund, IMF, Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato in a speech at the George Washington University.

• Friday, April 8th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguay discussing three year program with IMF

  Uruguay will be concluding a three year agreement with the IMF April 14/17, in Washington announced this week Uruguayan Economy Minister Danilo Astori.

• Friday, April 8th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Pemex on the “verge of bankruptcy”

  Mexico's state-run oil monopoly, Pemex, is “on the verge of bankruptcy” with liabilities totalling 88.5 billion US dollars and pending annual investment requirements of 10 billion, the corporation's top executive said Thursday.

• Friday, April 8th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  When John Paul II visited Punta Arenas

  Magallanes Region and Punta Arenas particularly have been very moved by the death of Pope John Paul II, the leader of Catholicism who in 1978 prevented a war in south Chile, later in 1987 visited the region and looking even further south, called for conservation in Antarctica, recollects La Prensa Austral in an editorial this week.

• Friday, April 8th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Germany optimistic about Kirchner-Schröder meeting

  German Ambassador Rolf Schumacher says relations between both countries are “very good.”

• Friday, April 8th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  MG Rover calls in receivers

  Cash-strapped car manufacturer MG Rover Group is going into financial administration after a proposed takeover deal with a Chinese firm fell through, the British government said last night

• Friday, April 8th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Multitudes join powerful for Pope's funeral

  Presidents, prime ministers and kings from around the world joined hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, prelates and other religious leaders in paying a final farewell Friday to Pope John Paul II in one of the largest religious gatherings in the West in modern times.