Politics

• Saturday, February 6th 2010 - 09:00 UTC

  All Mercosur leaders present at Mujica’s inauguration next March

  

  Mercosur presidents have confirmed attendance to the inauguration next March first of Uruguayan president-elect Jose Mujica who will be heading a second consecutive government of the catch-all centre left coalition Broad Front.

• Friday, February 5th 2010 - 04:53 UTC

  Argentina threatens UK and Falklands oil companies with legal actions

  

  Argentina reiterated on Thursday warnings to the United Kingdom over the “illegality” and juridical consequences of having awarded oil exploration licences in the Falkland Islands, under British control but which Argentina claims as part of its territory.

• Friday, February 5th 2010 - 03:19 UTC

  IMF says monetary policy needs of “independent central banks”

  

  The International Monetary Fund, IMF, made a public veiled reference to Argentina’s Central bank institutional crisis underlining the importance of having independent central banks for monetary policy all over the world.

• Friday, February 5th 2010 - 02:57 UTC

  Brazil’s dilemma: how to contain growth (inflation) in an electoral year

  

  Brazil's Central Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Copom, expressed concern about inflation and advanced it was prepared to respond “promptly” according to the minutes from its meeting last week when it decided to maintain the basic interest rate at 8.75%.

• Friday, February 5th 2010 - 02:45 UTC

  Bernanke reaffirms Fed’s independence to ensure public confidence and stability

  

  “The US Federal Reserve has been granted, both in law and in political tradition, considerable independence and autonomy. That independence serves important public objectives. Critically, it allows the Federal Open Market Committee to make monetary policy in the longer-term economic interests of the American people, rather than in the service of short-term political imperatives”.

• Friday, February 5th 2010 - 02:39 UTC

  World markets collapse on fears of Euro zone debt problems

  

  Concerns about the US economy and the potential spread of debt problems in the Euro zone (Greece, Portugal and Spain) have led to large falls in world stock markets. US and key European markets lost more than 2% while those in Spain and Portugal fell by more than 5%.

• Thursday, February 4th 2010 - 18:21 UTC

  Costa Rica elects president and renews Legislative next Sunday

  

  Costa Rica next Sunday will be electing a successor to president Oscar Arias out of nine hopefuls among which leading public opinion polls is his sponsored candidate, Laura Chinchilla, followed by Conservative Otto Guevara and Socialist Ottón Solis.

• Thursday, February 4th 2010 - 18:09 UTC

  Closer ties with France and other allies in UK’s forces future

  

  The British Armed Services will have to rely more on France and other international allies as they face “tough choices” in the coming years, said UK Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth on the launching of Government Green Paper that will pave the way for a full-scale strategic defence review after the General Election.

• Thursday, February 4th 2010 - 17:58 UTC

  Central bank can have operational autonomy but “it is not independent”

  

  Argentina’s newly appointed Central Bank president Mercedes Marcó del Pont, said she “believes in the Central Bank' operational autonomy,” but expressed “it cannot be independent”. She also said they would “work rigorously and continue their policies to bring calm in the currency exchange market.”

• Thursday, February 4th 2010 - 17:51 UTC

  Brazil finally decides to purchase Dassault Rafale fighter planes

  

  Brazil has agreed on a price to buy and assemble 36 Rafale fighter jets with French manufacturer Dassault after months of negotiations, a leading Brazilian newspaper reported on Thursday.