Brazilian policy makers kept their benchmark overnight rate unchanged on Wednesday after curbs on credit allowed central bank President Henrique Meirelles to leave anticipated rate increases for his successor.
According to the 2011 Latin American Economic Outlook report released on Dec. 3 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Chile has the third highest percentage of middle-class citizens in Latin America.
Fire engulfed a prison in the Chilean capital Santiago Wednesday early in the morning, killing 83 inmates and critically injuring 14 others, the government said, in the worst-ever accident in the country's jail system.
A newly formed Chinese organization says it will award its own peace prize on Thursday, a day before the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Norway to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.
A retired Spanish diplomat has sparked controversy after circulating a number of opinion articles that contradicted the official Spanish position on key issues including Gibraltar.
Trade negotiations between the European Union and Mercosur are making progress and are on track for a possible trade agreement by mid-2011, following coincidences on several controversial points.
The founder of whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has been refused bail by a court in London but vowed to fight extradition to Sweden. Mr Assange denies sexually assaulting two women in Sweden. He was remanded in custody pending a hearing next week.
President Barack Obama said on Tuesday the tentative tax deal he struck with Republicans is a good deal for the American people and a long political fight over tax cuts would have been bad for the US economy.
United States disapproved of the recognition of a Palestine state from the part of several Latin American countries, saying that direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians are still the only way to reach peace in the Middle East.
The head of the International Monetary Fund criticized Europe's disjointed response to the Euro zone debt crisis after Germany and other states resisted his calls for bolder action.