Politics

• Wednesday, February 3rd 2010 - 09:57 UTC

  OECD recommends Yuan appreciation to cut China’s dependence on exports

  

  The Yuan needs to appreciate to reduce China's dependence on exports for growth, says the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. OECD argues that more exchange rate flexibility and targeting inflation would help economic stability in China.

• Wednesday, February 3rd 2010 - 09:46 UTC

  Ecuador hosts Unasur meeting in support of reconstructing Haiti

  

  Six presidents will be participating in the coming Union of South American Nations, Unasur, extraordinary meeting to he hosted by Ecuador next week and which will address mainly how to better coordinate relief efforts for earthquake devastated Haiti.

• Wednesday, February 3rd 2010 - 05:14 UTC

  Imminent start of oil drilling in Falklands triggers strong Argentine protest

  

  Argentina summoned the British ambassador in Buenos Aires to deliver a formal protest regarding the imminent beginning of a hydrocarbons exploratory drilling season off-shore the Falkland Islands.

• Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 - 13:01 UTC

  How far can Argentina’s Central bank’s 48 billion USD reserves be stretched?

  

  The dispute between Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and the governor of the Central Bank over who is entitled to use the international reserves triggered a legal and political battle that is ongoing.

• Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 - 12:41 UTC

  Outgoing presidents Bachelet and Lula da Silva with record support

  

  Two outgoing South American presidents have reached record popularity according to the latest January public opinion polls. They are Michelle Bachelet from Chile and Brazil’s Lula da Silva, both with plus eighty percentages.

• Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 - 04:50 UTC

  Obama budget proposal has record deficit of almost 11% of GDP

  

  United States President Obama's new budget proposal is set to leave the US with a record-breaking deficit of 1.56 trillion US dollars. The figure is almost 11% of the country’s GDP. Economists generally consider annual deficits of more than 3% to be unsustainable.

• Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 - 04:41 UTC

  Brazilian congress willing to approve reformed power accord with Paraguay

  

  In the Brazilian congress there’s a positive attitude towards the consideration and approval of the terms agreed between presidents Lula da Silva and Fernando Lugo to improve price and conditions for the Paraguayan power generated in the Itaipú dam and purchased by Brazil.

• Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 - 04:33 UTC

  When Gibraltar was to be swapped for Spanish Ceuta

  

  Just under 100 years ago and as the world was still embroiled in the horrors of WWI, Great Britain was considering a deal with Spain and France that would allow it to swap Gibraltar for Ceuta (Spanish territory in the north of Africa).

• Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 - 04:20 UTC

  Colombian president Uribe remains opinion polls favourite for May 30 election

  

  Colombian president Alvaro Uribe continues to lead vote intention polls for next May presidential elections if the Constitutional Court finally authorizes a referendum on a second consecutive re-election of the popular leader.

• Monday, February 1st 2010 - 14:05 UTC

  With Redrado out of the way, Cobos is the next Kirchners’ target

  

  The institutional crisis facing Argentina remains open in spite of the resignation of the Central Bank president Martin Perez Redrado and is centred on whether the Executive can put its hands on the international reserves to pay sovereign debt.