
One of two senators in Brazil who were stripped of their positions for corruption will reimburse 234 million dollars in public funds he embezzled in the late 1990s, authorities said Thursday.

Argentine President Cristina Fernández is in “in a good health condition” after she cancelled all her official activities on Wednesday due to a low blood pressure bout, doctors informed on Thursday.

The number of US citizens filing new claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly rose last week, suggesting the labour market is healing too slowly to make much of a dent in the unemployment rate. However an official from the Federal Reserve said US economic data in recent weeks had improved.

Thousands of young Chileans marched peacefully on Thursday in different cities demanding education reform and equal conditions and rights for all young Chileans, amid a heightened police presence.

The administration of President Cristina Fernandez again challenged the United States on the “trade restrictions in place against Argentine products” which it claims are part of “a protectionist policy inconsistent with from the World Trade Organization”.

The Argentine government on Wednesday promulgated the tax agreement reached with Uruguay geared to lower fiscal evasion and elusion plus avoiding double taxing for residents from the neighbouring countries.

The current war of words over trade barriers going on between the US and Argentina further escalated tensions on Wednesday as Argentine Ambassador to the US Jorge Argüello highlighted: “the United States has been reported for a number of trade law violations.”

Confidence in the state of the world economy over the next 12 months fell to the lowest level in five quarters, according to the Global Confidence Index prepared by the World Economic Forum.

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez had to cancel all her Wednesday activities because of a lipothymy episode (low blood pressure) and was instructed to rest for the rest of the day at the presidential residence in Olivos.

The Organization of American States (OAS) agreed on Wednesday to dispatch of a mission to Paraguay to accompany and observe the electoral process in the country that will conclude with the general elections of April 21, 2013.