
The European Central Bank kept interest rates on hold on Thursday and altered its assessment of risks to the economic outlook as investors focus on the ECB possible role in helping Greece avoid default.

Bank of England has agreed to extend its quantitative easing (QE) program by £50bn to give a further boost to the UK economy. When completed, it will bring the total amount of QE stimulus to £325bn.

Santiago media reports increasing disappointment in the Chilean government and private sector with the latest batch of Argentine measures to restrict imports and want the issue ‘top of the agenda’ when President Cristina Fernandez visits Chile at the end of the month.

Argentina limited the use of cash in the country’s financial markets as President Cristina Fernandez tightens oversight of currency transactions to help contain capital flight and prepare for what is anticipated a ‘difficult’ year for the Treasury and the Argentine economy.

Argentine congress members announced on Wednesday that the inflation index for January based on an average of private sector estimates reached 1.9%, similar to the previous month of December.

Argentina has the cash reserves to make a tender offer for Repsol-YPF SA local unit, the country’s largest energy company, and will likely put further pressure on the industry to boost output, has stated Barclays Capital.

Argentina’s booming economy has been one of the few bright lights in an otherwise gloomy global financial picture the last few years. But inflation of up to 25% threatens that growth. It's one of the world’s highest inflation rates, reports the US public funded Public Radio International.

The latest round of imports’ restrictions imposed by the government of President Cristina Fernandez and how to address them have triggered a serious debate inside the ministerial cabinet of Uruguayan president Jose Mujica.

President Cristina Fernandez hopes to convince Brazil to join Argentina in its campaign against the multinational corporations in an effort to balance trade balances in the midst of the global crisis spurred by the Euro crisis, China’s slow reaction and the US economy which still has to recover from the full impact of the 2008/09 recession.

The meeting between Argentine and Brazilian officials to discuss the new trade legislation implemented by the government of President Cristina Fernandez ended in a “good understanding”, said participants of the Monday meeting.