
Brazil's unpredictable election took another twist Sunday, with populist President Dilma Rousseff forced into a runoff race as expected, but against a center-right challenger who only surged in the final week of the campaign.

The U.S. trade deficit slipped 0.5% in August to 40.1 billion, the lowest since January, the Commerce Department reported Friday. Oil imports fell to their lowest level in four years.U.S. exports increased 0.2% in August to a record 198.5 billion, while imports grew 0.1% to 238 billion. After a 40.3 deficit in July, analysts expected a 40.9 billion trade gap in August.

The US unemployment rate dipped to 5.9% in September, a six-year low, official figure has shown. The rate fell from 6.1% in August and is the lowest recorded since July 2008. US Labor Department also said that employers added 248,000 jobs last month, and the job growth figures for August and July were revised upwards.

The first sign of oil industry impact on the face of the Falkland Islands capital, Stanley is in the offing with the planning approval given for an 80 room portable hotel near The Trough.

According to Argentina's leading and most influential financial newspaper, Ambito Financiero, Brazil, via the private sector could come to the rescue of Argentina in its ongoing dispute with the speculative funds in the New York court presided by Judge Thomas Griesa.

In his first activity since his designation as the new chief of the Argentine Central Bank, Alejandro Vanoli met on Thursday President Cristina Fernandez and Economy Minister Axel Kicillof in Olivos.

The day after Argentina's central bank governor Juan Carlos Fabrega stepped down, investors expressed their pessimism as Buenos Aires City stock market, Merval, which plunged 7.2% to 10,703.32 points on Thursday.

The European Central Bank has kept its benchmark interest rate at 0.05% and given details of its asset purchase program announced last month. The bank's head Mario Draghi said it would start buying covered bonds this month and other assets in the final three months of the year. This would go on for two years.

Those baffled by the Argentine economy could do worse than listen to Puff Daddy. Ask what ails the country and the answer will echo the rapper’s ode to the 100-dollar bill, “It’s all about the Benjamins”.

Alejandro Vanoli, the designated new President of the Argentine Central Bank following Juan Carlos Fabrega’s resignation, is the current leader of the CNV securities regulator, in charge of that entity since 2009 after serving for three years as its deputy.