Stories for December 2010

Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 15:34 UTC
Bank of England decision on further liquidity injection expected for February

The Bank of England’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted Thursday to hold the base interest rate at its record low of 0.5%. As expected, the Bank did not extend its £200 billion program of quantitative easing and is not expected to make a decision on whether to follow the US Federal reserve with a second bout of economy boosting bond-buying – or QE2 – until February.
Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 15:21 UTC
Foreign Secretary lays out policy to help Commonwealth achieve its potential

British Foreign Secretary William Hague laid a statement in Parliament on how the UK plans to reinvigorate the Commonwealth with a vision to strengthen the Commonwealth as “a focus for promoting democratic values and development”.
Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 08:45 UTC
“Mario (Vargas Llosa) the only thing you’re good for is writing”

In his acceptance speech as winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, entitled “In Praise of Reading and Fiction”, (*) Peruvian writer Vargas Llosa paid tribute to his mother, his grandfather Pedro and his uncle Lucho.
Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 08:28 UTC
Keiko Fujimori daughter of jailed leader joins Peruvian presidential race

Keiko Fujimori, daughter of jailed former President Alberto Fujimori, joined Peru's presidential race, vowing to make sure the country's economic boom lifts more people out of poverty.
Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 07:57 UTC
Paraguay/Argentina Mercosur conflict: unions declare “five-day truce”

The blockade of landlocked Paraguay’s maritime and fluvial trade which threatens Mercosur unity has been “granted” a five-day truce by the Argentine maritime workers union responsible for the industrial action.
Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 07:52 UTC
Rio displays the world’s largest floating Xmas tress with 3.3 million lights

Thousands of Brazilians and visitors gathered at Rio de Janeiro's Rodrigo de Freitas Lake to witness the lighting of the world largest floating Christmas tree with 3.3 million lights.
Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 07:49 UTC
Brazil’s main coalition partner given five ministries in Rousseff’s cabinet

Brazilian President-elect Dilma Rousseff on Wednesday nominated five Cabinet members from her most important coalition partner in an effort to secure congressional support for her government.
Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 07:47 UTC
Brazil central bank leaves basic rate unchanged, but hike anticipated for January

Brazilian policy makers kept their benchmark overnight rate unchanged on Wednesday after curbs on credit allowed central bank President Henrique Meirelles to leave anticipated rate increases for his successor.
Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 07:24 UTC
Uruguay, Mexico and Chile have the most numerous middle-class in Latam

According to the 2011 Latin American Economic Outlook report released on Dec. 3 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Chile has the third highest percentage of middle-class citizens in Latin America.
Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 07:20 UTC
Fire in an overcrowded Santiago de Chile jail, kills at least 83 inmates

Fire engulfed a prison in the Chilean capital Santiago Wednesday early in the morning, killing 83 inmates and critically injuring 14 others, the government said, in the worst-ever accident in the country's jail system.