In response to China’s growing presence, the United States and France are ramping up efforts to assert their influence in the South Pacific region. French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Secretaries of State Antony Blinken and Defense Lloyd Austin made recent visits to the region, underscoring its strategic importance. Blinken, who, along with Austin, concluded […]
Brazil has initiated its first exports of green lithium to China, a key component in the production of electric vehicle batteries. It was named green lithium or zero-carbon because the exploration plant does not have a tailings dam. In addition, the company recycles the water used in the lithium purification process, which does not involve […]
Paraguay is set to accommodate a fresh cryptocurrency mining farm. The Bitcoin mining services provider, Sazmining, has announced plans to launch a cryptocurrency mining facility entirely powered by renewable energy, tapping into the South American nation's clean surplus electricity. According to the Sazmining team, the new center will have the capacity to house 1,600 user-owned […]
The Argentine low-cost airline, Flybondi, will resume its connection between Buenos Aires and Florianópolis starting on September 3. Until November, the route will have two weekly flights on Sundays and Wednesdays. Starting in December, there will be a daily flight. Tickets to fly from September onwards are already on sale, starting at R$460 (US$98) per […]
In the first half of the year, foreign tourist spending in Brazil brought in US$3.229 billion (equivalent to R$15.3 billion), a figure 7.2% higher than the US$3.075 billion recorded over the same period in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. According to the Central Bank's data, which has been collected since 1995, there's a noticeable rebound […]
New documents suggest that Facebook may have engaged in the censorship of American users at the request of the Biden administration. These allegations surfaced when Ohio Republican Congressman, Jim Jordan, published a collection of internal communications titled “The Facebook Files.” The documents imply that Facebook may have made changes to its content moderation policies and […]
In its recent Defense Strategic Report presented by Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, Japan’s Defense Ministry has cautioned about China’s significant escalation of military pressure on Taiwan in 2022. The report indicates a shift in the fragile military balance that has historically mitigated tensions between Beijing and Taipei, now leaning towards the Chinese military. The ministry […]
The conservative revolution in Italy, led by Giorgia Meloni, has progressed with the passing of the so-called Varchi law, which constitutes surrogacy as a universal crime. Surrogacy, where a woman carries a child for another couple, irrespective of payment, has been illegal in Italy since 2004, but the current modifications restrict Italian citizens from traveling […]
The Central Bank of Chile recently carried out an unexpected and aggressive cut in its key interest rate, decreasing it by one percentage point to 10.25% per annum, in a unanimous vote. The move outpaced analysts’ predictions, who had foreseen a reduction between 0.5 and 0.75 percentage points. This marks the first change in the […]
Japan has decided to ease the import restrictions on Brazilian chicken, a decision announced during Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro's visit to the country. Under the new policy, Japan will now permit Brazilian chicken imports based on the status of each municipality. Previously, Japan had blocked all imports from two Brazilian states due to minor outbreaks […]
The unfolding political landscape in Colombia took a dramatic turn this weekend. Nicolás Petro, the eldest son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, was apprehended on Saturday, drawing nationwide attention. The arrest, executed by the Prosecutor’s Office, relates to charges of potential money laundering – a serious allegation that has stunned the country. News of the […]
The military junta in Niger, following their coup against President Mohamed Bazoum, has shown interest in cooperating with neighboring countries Mali and Burkina Faso. These nations are already under military-led governments and have strengthened ties with Russia. Niger, one of Africa’s poorest countries, was previously France’s main ally in the unstable Sahel region and had […]
During the first half of 2023, Costa Rica reported a fiscal deficit of 0.9% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), marking the best performance for this period in the last 15 years, according to the Ministry of Finance. This figure represents an improvement from the 1% deficit recorded during the same period of the previous […]
The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) have started a network of Latin American agricultural negotiators. This aims to bolster the region's presence in forums like the WTO. The network plans to create negotiation proposals rooted in regional interests. It will help build consensus and agendas […]
Reynaldo Alexis Santana, the ruler of the indigenous Naso Tjër Di region in Panama, situated near the Costa Rican border, was recently sentenced to five years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor. Subsequently, the local indigenous leadership is deliberating whether he should be dethroned. The incident happened in the Naso region in 2016 when […]
A month after a failed rebellion against the Kremlin, the Wagner Group, a private military company, has returned to Africa. Primarily focused in the Sahel region, the group is amid a contest of influence between Russia, the U.S., and France over the control of natural resources. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the group, confirmed to […]
In Manipur, a serene, rural state in India, the tranquility has been disrupted by escalating tensions. The transformation of former students into militant guerrillas signifies a readiness for protracted conflict. One such student-turned-militant is a 16-year-old boy who once dreamed of a future in football. His aspirations have since been replaced by the grim necessity […]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached an agreement with the Argentine government on the fifth and sixth reviews of the country’s aid package, paving the way for a disbursement of US$7.5 billion, amid challenging conditions due to drought. In 2022, the IMF and Argentina agreed on a credit program, under which Argentina receives US$44 […]