Politics

• Friday, March 11th 2011 - 00:20 UTC

  Unasur becomes effective with a ministerial meeting in Quito

  

  Union of South American Nations Foreign Affairs ministers meet Friday in Quito to formally launch the group’s treaty and charter and begin discussions on a successor for deceased former Argentine president Nestor Kirchner who was the first Secretary General of Unasur.

• Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 22:32 UTC

  Massive inflow of foreign capital into Brazil during first two months of 2011

  

  The inflow of US dollars to Brazil so far this year (Jan-March 4) marks a surplus of 24.3 billion USD over outflows, which helped to further appreciate the Brazilian Real, according to the latest figures released by the Central Bank.

• Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 20:30 UTC

  China rules out multi-party democracy and western style political reforms

  

  A senior Chinese leader says his country will not become a multi-party democracy or adopt other Western-style political reforms. Wu Bangguo - officially number two in the leadership structure - warned that China could face civil disorder if it abandoned its current system.

• Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 20:16 UTC

  Brazilian markets expect further tightening to bring inflation to target

  

  Brazil's central bank said Thursday it remained cautious about the outlook for prices due to uncertainties in the global economy, and hinted that more than just interest rates may be needed to bring inflation back into line with targets.

• Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 17:43 UTC

  Qatar set to have this year the highest per capita income in the world

  

  Qatar is set to become the country with the world’s highest per capita income following on a breathless 16% growth in 2010 and a forecasted 20% this year according to the latest estimates from the IMF.

• Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 06:56 UTC

  London with no Argentine ambassador until at least 2012 to protest Falklands’ oil round

  

  The Argentine legation in London will remain without an ambassador until at least the end of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner four year mandate next December, confirmed diplomatic sources in Buenos Aires. The decision was originally taken to protest the current (second) round of oil exploration in the Falkland Islands’ waters.

• Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 06:51 UTC

  A Brazilian view of the current situation in Arab countries

  

  During Brazil's two decades of military dictatorship, it would have been unthinkable that a female former revolutionary would lead the country in the 21st century. That transition, from autocracy to democracy, might offer some lessons for rebels across the Arab world, Brazil’s longest serving foreign minister told a forum organised by the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies in Doha, Qatar.

• Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 06:47 UTC

  Inflation and production diversification, challenges for emerging economies

  

  Inflation and production diversification must be the top priorities of emerging economies such as Argentina warned Nobel Prize Joseph Stiglitz during an IMF sponsored forum on “Macro and growth policies at the wake of the crisis” which took place in Washington and convened top line economists and decision makers.

• Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 06:42 UTC

  The Kirchner camp sets out strategy for October’s presidential election

  

  Argentina’s Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo, called on all political parties that would like to support the Victory Front’s presidential candidate next October and be part of the so called “combined-list ballots” to do it without fears or restrictions.

• Thursday, March 10th 2011 - 06:29 UTC

  Enrolment of foreign students in Chilean universities soars 700% in a decade

  

  The enrolment of foreign students in Chilean universities has grown by 700% this past decade, with North American students leading the pack. Many students are attracted by the opportunity to travel, to learn Spanish and to experience a different culture.