Politics

• Friday, February 11th 2011 - 21:20 UTC

  US trade deficit soars 33% in 2010 as China imports hit record level

  

  The US trade deficit widened in December to its highest level in four months, the US government said in a report that also showed the annual trade gap expanded nearly 33% in 2010 as imports from China hit record levels.

• Friday, February 11th 2011 - 21:02 UTC

  Switzerland freezes assets that may belong to ex President Mubarak

  

  Switzerland has frozen assets that may belong to Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down on Friday as president of Egypt after 30 years of rule, the foreign ministry said.

• Friday, February 11th 2011 - 07:02 UTC

  Opposition leader calls on Egyptian Army “to save the country now”

  

  Major Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei warned of potential violent unrest after President Hosni Mubarak announced late Thursday he would not step down before the September elections.

• Friday, February 11th 2011 - 06:55 UTC

  Corruption controversy: Argentine official calls US diplomats “a joke”

  

  Argentina’s Cabinet Chief Aníbal Fernández is the latest high-ranking official to address the Wikileaks controversy after Spanish newspaper El País published several cables that denounced various corruption cases within the Cristina Fernández de Kirchner administration.

• Friday, February 11th 2011 - 06:52 UTC

  Argentine business leaders urge government to “stop denying inflation”

  

  The head of Argentina’ powerful Business Leaders Association (ADE) urged the government to “stop denying inflation” and rejected the notion that businessmen are responsible for price hikes.

• Friday, February 11th 2011 - 06:42 UTC

  Brazil’ central bank forex surpass the 300 billion USD mark…but at a cost

  

  Brazil's forex reserves surpassed the 300 billion US dollars mark for the first time ever this week according to the country's central bank as a result of recent heavy foreign exchange inflows and accelerated US dollar buying by the institution.

• Friday, February 11th 2011 - 06:24 UTC

  Fearing food riots Bolivian President Morales abandons public event

  

  Bolivian President Evo Morales was forced on Thursday to abandon a public event in the face of angry protests over food shortages and price rises. Morales was due to address a parade to commemorate a colonial-era uprising in the mining city of Oruro.

• Friday, February 11th 2011 - 06:19 UTC

  Major brawl in Venezuelan congress between pro and anti Chavez lawmakers

  

  Venezuelan lawmakers exchanged punches in parliament on Thursday when a fight erupted between members of President Hugo Chavez's socialist party and rivals, in a sign of the country’s political polarization.

• Friday, February 11th 2011 - 06:10 UTC

  Colombian rebels release hostage but at the same time kidnap two contractors

  

  Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos blasted Thursday the “double moral” of the FARC guerrilla that kidnapped two workers while preparing for the release of several hostages held for years and revealed he was tempted to suspend the liberation operation.

• Friday, February 11th 2011 - 06:06 UTC

  Two more babies die of malnutrition in north Argentina: seven in 40 days

  

  Another two babies died of malnutrition in the Argentine northern province of Salta, totalling seven so far this year. They all belong to indigenous colonies in this case from the Wichi community living under subsistence conditions in non fertile areas of the province.