On September 28, 2023, Roberto Barroso, 65, became the new President of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF). Edson Fachin, also 65, serves as Vice President. Former President Dilma Rousseff nominated both men. Barroso replaces Rosa Weber. She led both the STF and the National Council of Justice (CNJ). Weber retires on October 2, 2023, her […]
The drought in 2022 and 2023 led to an unprecedented water crisis in Uruguay and significantly impacted its economic growth projections. In this setting, Uruguay's Central Bank and the Chamber of Commerce show a 27.4% fall in agriculture in the second quarter of 2023. This decline had a sizable impact on the country's economy. Specifically, […]
Banxico unanimously maintained its interest rate at 11.25% for the fourth consecutive time, aligning with expert predictions. In March, the rate was raised to this level. Later, May, June, and August meetings also saw no change. September’s decision follows this trend. The current rate is the highest since January 2008. At that time, Banxico started […]
Evo Morales announced his candidacy for Bolivia’s 2025 presidential elections, joining fellow MAS party member and current President Luis Arce. Party rules state that a primary election will decide the official nominee. For now, the Bolivian government focuses on current governance, delaying presidential debates until 2024. Meanwhile, opposition groups like Carlos Mesa and Cochabamba’s mayor, […]
Venezuela’s National Armed Forces (FANB) have pledged to defend the disputed Essequibo territory. This move follows Guyana’s auctioning off of oil blocks in the same area. Venezuela protested this action at the 78th UN General Assembly. The country also accused the U.S. of wanting to control Essequibo’s oil. Guyana received eight bids for 14 oil […]
The MSGBC zone, which consists of Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Cape Verde, is fast becoming an investment hub in areas like energy, mining, and infrastructure. The driving force behind this influx of investment is a mix of good governance, tax benefits, and a focus on sustainable development. Each country in the MSGBC basin has adopted […]
Facing a rice shortage, Malaysia’s local supply meets only 70% of its needs, leading to frequent empty supermarket shelves. A rise in global rice prices has made matters worse. Even India has stopped exporting rice. In response, Bernas, a state-run company, raised imported rice prices by 36%. As a result, people are clamoring for cheaper […]
The U.S. dollar reached R$ 5.0478, its peak since last May, and currently remains nearly stable at R$ 5.0475. Experts point to two main causes: fears of inflation in the U.S. and rising oil prices. Brent oil now costs $96.55 per barrel, pushing costs upward globally. Russia and Saudi Arabia have cut oil production to […]
During a recent Cabinet meeting, Portugal's government approved the privatization of Tap Air Portugal. The plan is to sell the airline directly to a private entity. Authorities will offer at least 51% of the TAP shares acquired in 2020. Additionally, 5% of shares are set aside for employees. The full sale of the government's stake […]
For the past five months, Brazil's Lula government has focused on gig workers. The government argues that these workers, often freelancers for apps like iFood, need regulation. The administration recently introduced a bill in Congress. This legislation aims to tax both platform companies and their workers. Specifically, companies will pay 20% towards social security and […]
Oil prices reached a yearly peak of $97.69 per barrel this Thursday, the highest rate since last August. In response, Brazil's state-run oil firm Petrobras faces pressure to adjust fuel prices. According to industry data, Petrobras' gasoline price is 8% lower than global rates. This difference equals about 27 Brazilian cents per liter. Diesel, the […]
Donald Trump’s real estate empire is facing legal challenges that may hinder his future in politics. After a preliminary ruling, a New York State judge has indicated agreement with Attorney General Letitia James. The court suggests ongoing fraud within the Trump Organization, particularly in inflating asset values to secure favorable loans. Because of this, the […]
Brazil's agricultural exports reached $158.9 billion in 2022, showing a 32% growth from last year. However, a recent Agro Insper Global study reveals a $720 billion global market still largely untapped by Brazil. Currently, Brazil's share in this market is less than 1%. The main focus of Brazilian exports has been on soybean, corn, and […]
Michael Gambon peacefully passed away in a hospital from pneumonia, with his wife Anne and son Fergus by his side, as confirmed by his family. Gambon started acting in the early ’60s. He moved into film and TV roles after starting on stage. Notably, he portrayed a menacing gang leader in the 1989 film “The […]
In the second quarter of 2023, the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) experienced a slight slowdown, registering a 2.1% growth rate compared to the 2.2% seen in the first quarter. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) second estimate, this represents a 0.1 percentage point decline. Consumer spending and export sectors led the decrease, […]
China’s real estate giant Evergrande has suspended its stock trading in Hong Kong. The halt follows a regulatory notice. Moreover, two subsidiaries have also ceased trading. These units focus on real estate services and electric cars. Combined, these companies are worth $2.1 billion, according to Bloomberg. Furthermore, this trading halt comes right after Bloomberg reported […]
Taiwan recently displayed its first domestically-made submarine, boosting its defense arsenal. President Tsai Ing-wen initiated this project back in 2016, aiming to build eight submarines. Named "Hai Kun," which means "mythical sea creature," the vessel made its debut in Kaohsiung, a southern port city. Tsai celebrated the event, saying, "Today is historic. We've achieved a […]
(Opinion) Global military budgets are surging as we near 2024, igniting critical questions about priorities and fiscal responsibility. Startlingly, Russia has increased its defense budget by 70%, allocating $112 billion. Meanwhile, the Pentagon’s 2023 budget is around $800 billion in the United States. Even China surprises us with a defense budget of about $700 billion. […]
Russia's 2024 defense budget has surged by almost 70% to 10.8 trillion rubles or $112 billion, according to a financial report. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov says the hike is essential. He cites a "hybrid war" Russia claims to be facing as the reason. In contrast to Russia's substantial hike, China announced a more modest defense […]
OpenAI has enhanced ChatGPT with a real-time web search capability, moving beyond its previous reliance on a dataset last updated in August 2021. This limited its usefulness for current topics since its November launch. Initially, OpenAI activated this search feature for premium users in June. However, it got suspended due to users potentially accessing paid […]
Nearly half of Brazilians, 48%, view President Lula's administration as better than Bolsonaro's previous term, according to recent data. This is a 3-point dip from June's figures. Despite this, 40% believe Lula's governance is worse, a number that has been climbing since April. Additionally, 9% consider the two presidents equal in performance, and 3% remain […]
Nine months into his term, President Lula faces a 64% disapproval rate among evangelicals, as revealed by a recent PoderData poll. This is an 8% hike from his initial 56% rate. Conversely, 31% of evangelicals still approve of Luís Inácio Lula da Silva. This number has stayed the same since January. A June poll showed […]
Paraguay’s Foreign Ministry called in U.S. Ambassador Marc Ostfield on September 27. They wanted to discuss a suspected leak of U.S. papers linked to fighting corruption in Paraguay. A joint statement revealed that Ostfield didn’t comment, citing his nation’s policy. Ostfield mentioned that aiding Paraguay in battling corruption is a top U.S. goal. On September […]
Uruguay’s soccer scene is frozen due to a salary dispute between the Professional Footballers’ Union and various clubs. This deadlock disrupted the 2023 Clausura Tournament. For 22 months, both sides have debated players’ labor rules without a solution. The union proposed a minimum wage hike for Second Division players. Specifically, they want 62.5% of a […]
South American countries are reducing interest rates to better control inflation and stimulate economic growth. In Colombia, a clash has emerged between the government and the central bank, notes economist Christian Méndez to Sputnik. In 2023, the debate about cutting rates gained traction across Latin America. This happened as global fears of inflation started to […]