Politics

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 16:38 UTC

  China again raised bank reserves (eight times in 12 months) to rein inflation

  

  China’s central bank raised reserve requirements for lenders 10 days after boosting interest rates as Premier Wen Jiabao tackles accelerating inflation and the risk of asset bubbles in the fastest-growing major economy.

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 15:45 UTC

  Chile hikes rates but faces dilemma of imbalances and Peso appreciation

  

  The Central Bank of Chile (CBC) hiked interest rates by 25bps to 3.5% on Thursday night targeting growing economic imbalances and the threat of higher inflation, reports Capital Economics latest update.

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 14:19 UTC

  Colombian president says he has FARC leader and his command on target

  

  Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said this week that military forces know the exact hiding place and movements of the FARC guerrilla maximum leader, Alfonso Cano, and brushed aside any chance that he might escape.

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 14:11 UTC

  UK/Spain reaffirm commitment to Trilateral Dialogue on Gibraltar

  

  UK and Spain's foreign ministers reaffirmed Thursday their commitment to the Tripartite Forum (UK/Spain/Gibralar) for Dialogue following a bilateral meeting in London, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 05:50 UTC

  Chilean journalist reflects on Falklands’ sovereignty dispute

  

  The benefit of encouraging opinion makers to visit the Falklands was demonstrated when an article translated as “Petrol sets the Falklands on fire” appeared on the website lanacion.cl, written by recent visitor and Chilean writer and journalist, Raúl Sohr.

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 05:05 UTC

  European Commission told to tighten controls on aid to avoid ‘waste and leakage’

  

  The European Court of Auditors has called on the European Commission to assess the high risks involved, including corruption, when large sums of EC aid are channelled directly through public budgets in developing countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 04:59 UTC

  Ecuadorian president closer to tighter grip of government, including the Judiciary

  

  Ecuador's constitutional Court approved this week a 10-question referendum that will let voters decide whether to ban gambling and bullfighting but also ask them to boost President Rafael Correa's power over the judiciary.

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 04:55 UTC

  EU/Korea trade agreement effective next July; eliminates 98% of barriers

  

  Having pushed through a strong safeguard clause to protect European industry and received guarantees from Seoul that the new Korean legislation on car CO2 emission limits would not be detrimental to European car makers, the Parliament on gave its consent to the most ambitious trade agreement the EU has ever negotiated.

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 04:51 UTC

  IMF calls for fiscal discipline and a “weaker dollar” ahead of G20 meeting

  

  The International Monetary Fund will warn G20 finance ministers this weekend of growing risks to the world economy from surging food prices and public finances while also advocating a somewhat weaker dollar.

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 04:43 UTC

  Paraguay fearful of “Brazilian dominance” reveals Wikileaks cable

  

  Paraguay expressed deep concern about “Brazilian dominance” in South America, reveals a diplomatic cable exposed by Wikileaks and reproduced this week by the Brazilian portal ‘Opera Mundi’.