Politics

• Saturday, December 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Pulp mill conflict widens Mercosur rift

  

  Escalating mutual recriminations and complaints between Argentina and Uruguay signaled the first day of deliberations at the Mercosur ministerial meeting in Brasilia in the same week that the group officially inaugurated its Parliament.

• Friday, December 15th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  US/Venezuela address after-election “new reality”

  

  Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro met U.S. ambassador William Brownfield, seeking to ease years of diplomatic tension as President Hugo Chavez prepares to begin a second, six-year term.

• Thursday, December 14th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguay committed to Mercosur, but disputes persist

  

  Uruguay's Foreign Affairs minister Reinaldo Gargano said Uruguayan farmers are interested in remaining in Mercosur in spite of the growing difficulties to solve the asymmetries between big and small country members and bilateral disputes.

• Thursday, December 14th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Ban Ki-Moon sworn is as new UN Secretary General

  

  South Korea's Ban Ki-Moon was sworn in on Thursday, before the 192-member General Assembly, as the next United Nations Secretary-General while outgoing Kofi Annan who held the job for ten years was given a prolonged tribute.

• Thursday, December 14th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Another Venezuelan ambassador on the tight rope

  

  With mounting tension between the Bolivian government and four of the country's nine provinces pressing for regional autonomy, Venezuela's ambassador caused a political seism when he admitted the possibility of sending Venezuelan troops in support of the administration of President Evo Morales.

• Thursday, December 14th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Lula da Silva officially inaugurates Mercosur Parliament

  

  Despite constant trade disputes Mercosur this Thursday found respite and motive to celebrate with the official inauguration of the block's Parliament in Brazil.

• Monday, December 11th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Pinochet: no state funeral or national mourning

  The Chilean government announced Sunday that the deceased dictator General Augusto Pinochet will be receiving honors of a former Commander in chief of the Army, and not of head of state or national mourning.