The whole world became aware last week of the accusations against the head of the IMF, French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn when he was arrested for sexually assaulting a hotel maid in New York recently. Video and pictures of Mr. Strauss-Kahn in handcuffs and in court were blitzed across world media this week and the story […]
This week’s Economist includes a special report on international banking. On page 8 of the report, tucked inside an article on Japan’s woefully conservative banking industry, is an interesting graphic. A survey conducted by Datamonitor asked internet users in a dozen countries how important mobile banking is to them. Brazil leads the pack in percentage […]
The position Brazil and most of Latin America has been in since their establishment as independent nations has been one of commodity exporters, successful in boom cycles but suffering when the specific commodities they export lost value in the international market. The recent boom in the Brazilian economy still has a lot to do with […]
The EU has long had a virtual monopoly over a realm of trade dispute known as “labeling,” using a name on a product label that invokes a specific region, concentration of ingredients, or production process. Time-crafted traditions that, after generations, yield global renown should be protected from any Johnny-come-lately ripping off the name. That’s the […]
Led by maestro Daniel Barenhoim, an Argentine symphony played to a crowd of 400 in the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory of Gaza yesterday, marking the first time Gaza has hosted an orchestra. The immediate impact was stunning. “I felt I was dreaming. This concert took me out of the difficult conditions we are facing here. I […]
Next week Canadians will decide what kind of Parliamentary arrangement they would like to represent their country for the next few years. The minority Conservative party is seeking a majority in the vote this upcoming Monday, but they left leaning NDP party is absorbing the opposition Liberals in order to create a government split between […]
With a barrel of oil going for $120 on world markets, emerging economies are suffering from the growing strain of fuel subsidies. The IMF estimates that fuel subsidies reached $250 billion in 2010, up from $60 billion in 2003. Compared to Asia, Latin America is fairing rather well. Mexico and Venezuela certainly have high fuel subsidies. Venezuela spends […]
Cedatos, a polling firm in Ecuador, expects President Rafael Correa to handily win a May 7 referendum to overhaul the country’s judicial system. Chief among the ten ballot proposals is the establishment of a temporary panel—to be replaced by a five-member council with a six-year mandate—that will appoint top judges. Other measures on the ballot […]
This week the investment group definition created by investor publications over ten years ago claimed their identity as a defined face and voice in this week’s BRICS conference. The added “S” took the investor defined grouping past its investor created definition to include South Africa. While countries like Mexico, Turkey and Indonesia were likely better […]
Brazil this week joined a list of countries that can claim a link to senseless violence which sends chills among its innocent population and their children. Today Rio buried 12 of its youth who were murdered by a gunman yesterday at a school in a working class area of Rio de Janeiro. The gunman, Wellington […]
When it comes to scientific production in the new millennium, Brazil has gone from a minnow to a marlin. Science and technology investment tripled, from $10.6 billion in 2002 to $30 billion in 2009. The number of active researchers has burgeoned, as has the number of labs and refereed papers published. Brazil’s inroads into cutting […]
An idea was floated by LEX at the FT.com by author Edward Hadas to have BRIC economies help with the European debt crisis by absorbing them into their own countries, namely Brazil could absorb its former colonial master, Portugal, and easily handle their debt in its large growing economy. In an Op-ed by the LEX […]
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