In The News

Smoking in Latin America

June 24, 2013
Tobacco is a native plant of the Americas, but Latin America is gradually going smoke-free. Chile is the 14th Latin American country – out of 20 – to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces. Over 40 percent of Chileans smoke, reports the World Health Organization. Treatment for tobacco victims represents a quarter of the $10 billion public healthcare budget, reports Chile’s health minister. Tobacco...

Latin America Reacts to Changes in Fed Spending

Krista Hughes June 20, 2013
Latin America has outperformed other emerging markets in attracting foreign investment. However, the significant liquidity of Latin American currencies means that Latin America is the “high beta,” abruptly reacting to what is happening in the US economy, suggests Krista Hughes for Reuters. The mere hint of reduced spending from the US Federal Reserve, signaling a potential rise in interest rates...

Mixing Sushi and Samba

Milena Veselinovic June 19, 2013
Brazil is home to 1.8 million people of Japanese descent, the largest Japanese immigrant population in the world. The first Japanese immigrants came to Brazil in 1908 to work as coffee laborers after the abolition of slavery, and most had the opportunity to achieve an education and relative wealth within one or two generations. Nowadays, Japanese Brazilians have had an influence on Brazilian...

Extending a Hand, Obama Finds Cold Shoulder Abroad

Mark Landler, Peter Baker June 19, 2013
Following frank meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G8 Summit, US President Barack Obama is finding that some fellow heads of state are dispensing with diplomatic niceties. Even allies are disappointed, and Obama must contend with a notoriously difficult relationship with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, a brutal response to protests by...

Will Brazil Be Left Counting the Cost of Hosting the World Cup and Olympics?

Jonathan Watts June 18, 2013
After hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2008 Olympics, South Africa and China were left with expensive facilities with few alternative uses. Analysts are debating whether the same happens to Brazil when it hosts these same events in 2014 and 2016: Some say that the public-relations value of hosting these events is worth the investment for developing countries, while others say the money...

Bermuda Refuses to Sign Up to Cameron's Tax Evasion Deal

Patrick Wintour June 18, 2013
Tax evasion threatens government budget and programs. As the G8 meets in Ireland, UK Prime Minister David Cameron hopes to persuade G8 and other countries to sign agreements against tax evasion. The pressure may have been counterproductive. Craig Cannonier, Bermuda’s prime minister, is refusing to sign the OECD international agreement on tax information exchange. Crannoir argues that Bermuda is...

Ostrich Diplomacy

June 17, 2013
Henrique Capriles came close to winning Venezuela’s special presidential election in April, held after the death of Hugo Chavez. Capriles is challenging the results and seeking support in neighboring countries. Yet they are discovering that they incur wrath in Venezuela by putting out the welcome mat out for him. A one-hour meeting between Colombia’s President and Capriles led to an uproar....