
Europe is at risk of a Japanese-style “Lost Decade” of low economic growth, weak consumer spending, poor company investment and tougher borrowing conditions, the Dutch central bank said on Thursday.

Bank of England policymakers on Thursday decided against pumping more cash into Britain's recession-hit economy, preferring to sit tight after a surprise spike in inflation.

Brazil's use of installed industrial capacity fell for a second consecutive month in March, despite a continued recovery of industrial sales during the period, Brazil's National Confederation of Industries, CNI, announced.

Investors pulled 1 billion dollars out of Brazil last week as Euro-zone debt fears continue to spook markets and the Brazilian government shows little sign of changing its hefty intervention policies.

Banking giant HSBC Holdings PLC said on Thursday it is in talks on a possible sale of its operations in Colombia, Peru, Uruguay and Paraguay

The number of Americans submitting new applications for jobless benefits edged down last week, easing concerns the labour market was deteriorating after April's weak employment growth.

Spain took over Bankia, the country's fourth biggest lender, on Wednesday, trying to dispel concerns over the government's ability to clean up the financial sector four years after the banks were hit by a property market crash.

The Brazilian senate approved a bill Wednesday giving FIFA the guarantees needed to organize the 2014 World Cup. The approval came just a day after the Brazilian government met with FIFA officials in Switzerland to discuss the country's preparations and resolve their differences.

A former Argentine Energy and Industry secretary questioned the energy policy of President Cristina Fernandez administration but also strongly criticized Spain’s Repsol management of the recently seized YPF.

Uruguay’s Vice-president Danilo Astori said Mercosur is going through its worst moment in history because some of its members in practical terms “are denying the most basic principles”.