
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Saturday he is in perfect health two days after being hospitalized for a high-blood-pressure attack that forced him to cancel his attendance at a global economic forum.

As Britain comes out of recession, a new age of aspiration is within reach - but it will not come about by chance. Only if we make the right choices in economic and social policy can we lift the sights and shape the life chances of millions of people in our country.

A historic discovery was made on January 28, 1820. A Russian navy expedition under the command of Faddei Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev sighted the last of the remaining unexplored continents - Antarctica.

Argentina's embattled central bank chief, Martin Perez Redrado, resigned Friday amid a bitter dispute with President Cristina Kirchner over control of the bank’s foreign currency reserves.

Unemployment in Magallanes region, extreme south of Chile reached 5.3% during the last quarter of last year which represents an improvement over the previous quarter, 6.6%, but is double over the same period a year ago when it stood at 2.8%.

Unemployment in the 16 countries that use the Euro hit 10% in December for the first time since the single currency was introduced in 1999. It had been reported that the rate hit 10% in November, but this has subsequently been revised down to 9.9%.

Chile’s Electoral Service, Servel cancelled the registry of seven political parties, among which the Communist Party for not having complied with the rule which demands a minimum 5% of valid votes of total turnout in last December 13 presidential election.

China reaffirmed its economic goals of raising domestic incomes and consumption while reducing its reliance on exports and investment. For this purpose China is pursuing a “proactive fiscal policy” and “moderately easy monetary policy” said Vice Premier Li Kegiang in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Ben Bernanke has been approved to serve a second four-year term as chairman of the US Federal Reserve, the country's powerful central bank. The US Senate voted 70-30 in favour of Mr Bernanke, handing him the narrowest victory margin in decades.

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner surprised guests at a business meeting by admitting eating pork improves sexual activity. Quite distant from her sharp lecturing style Mrs. Kirchner offered a rare non political intimate glimpse of the country’s most powerful couple life.