Economists who thought they had figured out how to keep national economies growing and inflation under control by simply focusing on short-term interest rates have learned some important lessons from the recent recession.

Laura Chinchilla, a former vice president and justice minister, is set to become Costa Rica's first female president after winning the country's early February election with a convincing 47% of the vote.

As economic power increasingly shifts toward the East and regulators in the West look to rein in the growth of their financial sectors, senior business figures' perceptions of what will be the key financial centers in a decade are also shifting.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez's dream of spreading his "21st century socialism" throughout Latin America could be halted by a troubled economy.