Brazil's trade surplus hit US$9.77 billion in August. According to the Foreign Trade Secretariat, this is a 137.8% jump from last August. Exports in August went up to US$31.21 billion, a 1.4% increase. Imports fell to $US21.44 billion, down 19.6%. For the year so far, the surplus is US$63.32 billion. That's up 44.8% from last […]
Shandong is the first Chinese province to set up a social credit system for religious people only. This new program is part of China’s existing “trustworthiness” checks, active since 2018. It uses a special platform where religious citizens earn or lose points based on their behavior. People discussed the policy in a two-day meeting in […]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticizes Brazil's President Lula for ties to dictatorships and inconsistent human rights policies. HRW says Lula ignores rights abuses in Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and China. These are countries Brazil is getting close to. Brazil aims to lead the UN Human Rights Council in October. Lula's ties with Russia and China raise […]
A woman tops Brazil's 'Billionaires List' for 2023 for the first time, recently published to celebrate the magazine's 11th anniversary. Vicky Safra, 70, widow of late banker Joseph Safra, tops the list with an estimated net worth of R$ 87.8 billion (US$17.9 billion). The total includes her children's wealth, in line with Forbes USA's new […]
For the first time, the Bank of China has made a direct investment in Yuan in Argentina. This marks a pivotal moment for the country’s currency. Guangdong’s Brunp Recycling, a lithium battery company, invested around 429,000 Yuan or about US$58,892 in Argentina’s Salta province. The money will cover daily costs for their new branch. “This […]
Three leading singers top the list of highest-earning Latin artists ever. According to Billboard Boxscore, Bad Bunny, Luis Miguel, and Marc Anthony top the list of highest-grossing Latin artists since the 1980s. Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, leads the list. He has generated US$508.7 million from 170 concerts, attracting 3.3 million […]
(Opinion) El Salvador’s Cecot mega-prison hits its six-month milestone, stirring up praise and criticism. However, it’s important to consider its impact on one of the world’s most crime-ridden nations. El Salvador has struggled with extreme violence for years, largely due to the control exerted by gangs such as Barrio 18 and MS-13. The creation of […]
The Bangladeshi Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus faces legal challenges from the country’s judiciary. Over 170 world leaders are concerned about the prize winner. Notable figures like Barack Obama and Ban Ki-moon have voiced their worries. They wrote a letter to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, often called Asia’s Iron Lady, asking to halt the case […]
Chile’s economy grew by 1.8% in July, ending five months of decline, says the Central Bank. This is the first growth shown by the Monthly Economic Activity Index or Imacec. The index covers 90% of the country’s economy and is a good predictor of GDP. In the past months, the index showed negative growth. It […]
Singaporeans will vote in the first contested presidential election this Friday in 10 years. This vote tests public opinion of the ruling party, hit by recent scandals. The president’s role is mostly ceremonial but important. The president oversees the city’s financial reserves and can veto certain decisions. They also approve investigations into corruption. In 2017, […]
Mexico's Defense Department is building its first Air and Naval Base in Riviera Maya. Along with a new airport in Tulum, the base aims to boost area surveillance. Riviera Maya had no facilities for significant weather events before this. The new base will watch the sky over Mexico's southeast border. It will also be a […]
A new Datafolha poll shows leftist Guilherme Boulos leading in São Paulo's mayoral race with 32% support. The current Mayor, Ricardo Nunes, has 24%. Other contenders like Tábata Amaral and Kim Kataguiri have 11% and 8%, respectively. Vinicius Poit got 2%. About 18% plan to vote blank or null and 5% are undecided. The survey […]
Brazil's GDP rose by 0.9% in the second quarter of 2023, beating forecasts, and reached R$2.65 trillion (US$546 billion). This data comes from Brazil's official statistics agency, IBGE. The economy grew 3.4% compared to last year, showing signs of slowing down. In the first half of 2023, Brazil's economy grew by 3.7%. The IBGE reports […]
As of August 31, 2023, Argentina’s central bank has only US$28 billion in reserves left. This is down from US$44.6 billion at the start of the year. Argentina is preparing for elections on October 22. Economy Minister Sergio Massa is the ruling party’s candidate. Current President Alberto Fernández won’t run again. The highest reserves were […]
Mexico’s Peso saw its worst drop since March against the U.S. dollar. This happened after the Bank of Mexico, also known as Banxico, cut its hedge program in half. On August 31, the Peso closed at over 17 units per dollar. This was a drop of 1.78%, the worst since March 8. Back in 2017, […]
More Argentine business owners are looking to invest in Venezuela. Colombian business leaders are showing renewed interest in Venezuela as well. Patricio Passet leads a group of nearly 70 such investors in the country. He said to Sputnik that Venezuela is now a good business place. The group is active in oil, farming, tourism, and […]
In Ecuador, inmates have captured 57 security staff across six prisons. The National Service for Offender Attention (SNAI) made this announcement. SNAI manages the country’s prisons. A special team is working to bring back order. This team includes the National Police and Armed Forces. For safety, they’re not sharing details about the captured staff. The […]
Brazil introduces new low-interest loans to spur tech innovation. Vice President Geraldo Alckmin announced a record-low 4% interest rate for these loans. The program starts in September with a US$13 billion fund. It will support a range of tech projects. These include AI, green fuels, and digital economy efforts. "The goal is to energize our […]
Argentina’s “blue dollar” rate jumped 33.6% in August, ending at 735 pesos per unit. This increase happened after the country’s primary elections. The rate rose by 185 pesos from the start of the month and 130 pesos since the elections. After the elections, Argentina’s Central Bank devalued the official dollar by 22%. This made the […]
Bolivia’s President, Luis Arce, cautioned against dollarization and tying a country’s economy to the U.S. He spoke at a press conference and mentioned problems in Ecuador and Panama. Arce has expertise in economics and is used to teach. He discussed Javier Milei’s idea to use the U.S. dollar in Argentina to fight inflation. Arce pointed […]
Paraguay’s total population is lower than the previous estimate. The latest census reveals that the country has 6,109,644, according to preliminary data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE). This figure is lower than the 2015 estimates, which projected the South American country’s population to reach 7,453,695. The survey, conducted in 2022, counted a total […]
A study says Brazil needs US$200 billion to hit its 2030 climate goals. Most of this money should go to farming and energy, according to a report by consulting firm Oliver Wyman. Energy projects include wind and solar parks, better energy storage, and more efficient power use. The rest of the money will go into […]
Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has told the country’s armed forces to create a militia. This militia will include farmers, fishers, and producers. The goal is to defend Venezuela’s independence. Maduro gave these orders at an event in the state of Lara. He said he wanted a solid militia to defend the land, seas, and rivers. […]
The United States and Spain remain top investors in Argentina, says a Central Bank report. As of March 31, Argentina’s total foreign direct investment (FDI) was US$134.025 billion. The United States was the largest investor, contributing US$25.821 billion, or 19% of the total. Spain was the second-largest investor with US$21.177 billion, or 16%; the Netherlands […]
The Venezuelan currency, the bolivar, lost 9.4% of its value against the US dollar in August, according to the Central Bank (BCV), which showed a rate of 32.59 bolivars per dollar at the end of the month. On July 31, the bank reported that the dollar cost 29.50 bolivars, which means the US dollar price […]
