Economy

• Saturday, December 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Cautious optimism in Latin América

  

  Governments in Latin America and the Caribbean expect a fourth straight year of economic growth in 2006, topped by a jump of 12.5 percent in Cuba, according to a report issued Thursday by the UN economic agency for the region.

• Saturday, December 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean leader proposes soc. sec. reform

  

  President Michelle Bachelet on Friday proposed a shake-up of Chile's widely admired but incomplete private social security system, urging a minimum government pension for 1 million elderly Chileans left out of the current program.

• Saturday, December 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina and Brazil promote bilateral trade

  Argentina and Brazil signed in Brasilia a protocol for a bilateral trade payments system in local currencies which gradually eliminates the US dollar helping to reduce goods and services transactions costs.

• Saturday, December 16th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  London sq ft can reach as much as 5.860 US dollars

  

  Brimming with posh stores and elegant shoppers, New York City has always held a certain cachet. But there is something that the US's largest city can no longer claim: the world's most expensive residences.

• Friday, December 15th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Oil Price climbs after Opec agrees output cut

  

  Oil gained more than a dollar on Thursday after Opec decided to cut its output by two per cent from February.

• Thursday, December 14th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  IMF warns Latinamerica is lagging investment

  

  The International Monetary Fund, IMF said that higher levels of investment in Latinamerica can only be reached if several obstacles are tackled: a significant cut in current debt level; lower government expenditure; expansion of the taxable base and greater credibility for monetary institutions.

• Thursday, December 14th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean export fraud with meat shipped to Japan

  Chile's Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) will send at least two representatives to Japan this weekend to clarify any questions the Asian government may have regarding the recent red meat exported to the island nation and stamped with false sanitation seals.

• Wednesday, December 6th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  China forecasted to expand above 10% next year

  China's growth next year is forecasted to exceed 10% and consumer prices should be in the range of 1.5% according to the latest estimates from the People's Bank of China, reports the Chinese agency Xinhua.