In The News

Autumn of the Patriarchs

June 14, 2013
Shifting population patterns are expected in emerging developing countries. In Latin America the population is quickly moving from high birth rates and early mortality to low birth rates and longer life expectancies. “In Latin America the changes have happened in half that time and all at once, resulting in faster, less predictable social change,” reports the Economist. Brazil and Chile’s...

NSA Surveillance: The US Is Behaving Like China

Ai Weiwei June 14, 2013
Many are shocked by reports on the scope of the US National Security Agency’s PRISM operation, and comparisons to the monolithic security apparatus in China may not be far off. Both US citizens and foreigners are left wondering about the targets. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who has both lived in the US for 12 years and been in detention in China, expresses surprise and disappointment....

Brazil “to Write Off' African Debt

June 13, 2013
Amid expansion of economic ties with Africa, Brazil will restructure almost $900 million worth of debt with 12 African countries: oil- and gas-rich Congo-Brazzaville, Tanzania and Zambia as well as Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal and Sudan. The South American giant has also opened 19 new embassies in Africa in the...

The New New World

June 13, 2013
As the debt crisis lingers in Europe, many countries cease to be magnets for mobile hands and brains. Confronting high unemployment rates at home, Europeans are shedding a fear of relocation, and new talent is heading toward developing countries with fast-growing economies like Mexico and Brazil. According to the World Bank, remittances from Brazil to Portugal are now greater than those from...

Paris Threatens to Block EU-US Talks

Hugh Carnegy, George Parker, Peter Spiegel June 12, 2013
France is threatening to block talks on a transatlantic free-trade zone if its demands to exclude music, film and other cultural industries are not met, reports the Financial Times. France issued the ultimatum even as China and Europe are exchanging charges over unfair trade practices in solar panels and wine. The US likewise demands that all industries start on the negotiating table, pointing...

Panamanians Reject UN Forest Plan

Alex Kirby June 11, 2013
The REDD program, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, was promoted by the United Nations to protect vulnerable forests and stem climate change. A group in Panama is suggesting that REDD reduces local indigenous control of forest resources. “Instead of safeguarding the forests for the indigenous people of Panama, the chief argues, the UN scheme is being used to wrest...

Is Big Data Turning Government Into Big Brother?

Michael Liedtke June 7, 2013
Privacy advocates have long been concerned about the US National Security Agency collecting data on US citizens and foreigners. Recent reports that Verizon and likely other US telecommunications firms are handing over phone logs stir new concerns about surveillance activities started under the George W. Bush administration. Individuals who use digital devices leave digital trails, reports Michael...