
Football's governing body FIFA said Thursday that they had achieved a profit of 631 million US dollars over a four year period starting 2007. FIFA revenue during this period was 4.189 billion USD, while the expenses amounted to 3.558 billion USD, the organisation said in a statement.

The president of the European Central Bank has said that a rise in Euro zone interest rates was possible at its next policy meeting in April. Jean-Claude Trichet said the ECB was in a posture of strong vigilance against rising inflation.

Brazil Wednesday central bank decision to raise interest rates by 50bps to 11.75% was widely expected but significant for two reasons, according to a report from Capital Economics .

Global food prices increased for the eighth consecutive month in February, with prices of all commodity groups monitored rising again, except for sugar, FAO said on Thursday. FAO expects a tightening of the global cereal supply and demand balance in 2010/11

Brazil grew at its fastest pace in 24 years in 2010, expanding 7.5% on strong consumer demand but other complementary data also showed the economy is feeling the strains of overheating.

Food price volatility has increased in recent months and will remain high for the time being, according to a joint bulletin launched today by ECLAC, FAO and IICA.

Brazil’s Central bank on Wednesday raised its benchmark overnight rate by a half-point for a second straight meeting to cool inflation that is approaching the upper limit of the government’s target range.

Uruguay’s cabinet meeting spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that Argentina had “liberated” 75% of the import licences that remained delayed and which was one of the main points of the agenda in the recent summit between Uruguayan president Jose Mujica and Argentina’s Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Khan praised the management and achievements of the Uruguayan economy and said it was a pleasure to visit a country that does not have major problems resulting from the 2008 global financial crisis, which is a “recurrent issue” of his busy agenda.

The recent hike in oil prices will likely cause a “temporary and relatively modest increase in U.S. consumer price inflation,” but sustained increases could pose a more serious threat to the economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said earlier this week.