Stories for March 2011

Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 21:20 UTC
Rare trade deficit in China; conflicting opinions as to the reasons

Chinese trade figures released Thursday show a surprising deficit for February, as export growth slowed and import numbers remained strong. Chinese statistics released Thursday show that the country registered a trade deficit in February of 7.3 billion US dollars.
Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 20:30 UTC
China rules out multi-party democracy and western style political reforms

A senior Chinese leader says his country will not become a multi-party democracy or adopt other Western-style political reforms. Wu Bangguo - officially number two in the leadership structure - warned that China could face civil disorder if it abandoned its current system.
Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 20:16 UTC
Brazilian markets expect further tightening to bring inflation to target

Brazil's central bank said Thursday it remained cautious about the outlook for prices due to uncertainties in the global economy, and hinted that more than just interest rates may be needed to bring inflation back into line with targets.
Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 17:56 UTC
Moody’s downgrades Spain’s sovereign debt rating

Moody's Investors Service on Thursday slashed Spain's sovereign debt rating by a notch to Aa2 with a negative outlook, saying it was uncertain about the country's ability to improve its finances.
Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 17:43 UTC
Qatar set to have this year the highest per capita income in the world

Qatar is set to become the country with the world’s highest per capita income following on a breathless 16% growth in 2010 and a forecasted 20% this year according to the latest estimates from the IMF.
Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 06:56 UTC
London with no Argentine ambassador until at least 2012 to protest Falklands’ oil round

The Argentine legation in London will remain without an ambassador until at least the end of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner four year mandate next December, confirmed diplomatic sources in Buenos Aires. The decision was originally taken to protest the current (second) round of oil exploration in the Falkland Islands’ waters.
Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 06:51 UTC
A Brazilian view of the current situation in Arab countries

During Brazil's two decades of military dictatorship, it would have been unthinkable that a female former revolutionary would lead the country in the 21st century. That transition, from autocracy to democracy, might offer some lessons for rebels across the Arab world, Brazil’s longest serving foreign minister told a forum organised by the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies in Doha, Qatar.
Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 06:47 UTC
Inflation and production diversification, challenges for emerging economies

Inflation and production diversification must be the top priorities of emerging economies such as Argentina warned Nobel Prize Joseph Stiglitz during an IMF sponsored forum on “Macro and growth policies at the wake of the crisis” which took place in Washington and convened top line economists and decision makers.
Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 06:42 UTC
The Kirchner camp sets out strategy for October’s presidential election

Argentina’s Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo, called on all political parties that would like to support the Victory Front’s presidential candidate next October and be part of the so called “combined-list ballots” to do it without fears or restrictions.
Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 06:40 UTC
Shanghai Disneyland set to open in 2015 at a cost of 3.7 billion USD

Walt Disney’s theme park in Shanghai will be built in a 7 square-kilometre area that the city has designated as a tourist destination, according to a draft blueprint of the project.