WEATHER ALERT
Rubio says Trumpโs interest in Greenland and Panama Canal is legit and driven by China concerns
Read full article: Rubio says Trumpโs interest in Greenland and Panama Canal is legit and driven by China concernsSecretary of State Marco Rubio says President Donald Trumpโs desire to acquire Greenland and retake control of the Panama Canal is driven by legitimate national security interests stemming from growing concerns about Chinese activity in the Arctic and in Latin America.
The Latest: Senators grill 3 of Trump's most controversial Cabinet picks in confirmation hearings
Read full article: The Latest: Senators grill 3 of Trump's most controversial Cabinet picks in confirmation hearingsDemocratic senators have grilled three of President Donald Trumpโs cabinet picks during their confirmation hearings.
Trump's pick of Rubio as America's top diplomat could reshape US policy in Latin America
Read full article: Trump's pick of Rubio as America's top diplomat could reshape US policy in Latin AmericaPresident-elect Donald Trump's pick of Sen. Marco Rubio to become U.S. secretary of state is likely to jolt Latin America after decades of neglect from Washington.
Subway commuters in Buenos Aires see fares spike by 360% as part of austerity campaign in Argentina
Read full article: Subway commuters in Buenos Aires see fares spike by 360% as part of austerity campaign in ArgentinaCommuters in Buenos Aires are being hit by an abrupt 360% increase in subway fares.
Argentine presidential candidate Milei goes to the opera โ and meets both jeers and cheers
Read full article: Argentine presidential candidate Milei goes to the opera โ and meets both jeers and cheersBoth jeers and cheers for Argentinaโs right-wing presidential candidate resounded with acoustic perfection inside the countryโs legendary Colรณn Theater, laying bare the countryโs polarization.
Drinks giant Diageo sees share price slide after warning about sales in Caribbean and Latin America
Read full article: Drinks giant Diageo sees share price slide after warning about sales in Caribbean and Latin AmericaSpirits and beer giant Diageo saw billions wiped off its market value on Friday after it warned that a sharp slowdown in its business in Latin America and the Caribbean was hitting sales and potential profits.
More refugees to come from Latin America, Caribbean under Biden's new 125,000 refugee cap
Read full article: More refugees to come from Latin America, Caribbean under Biden's new 125,000 refugee capAs the number of migrants coming to the U.S.โs southern border is climbing, the Biden administration aims to admit more refugees from Latin America and the Caribbean over the next year.
Trump and other Republicans conjure a familiar enemy in attacking Democrats as โcommunistsโ
Read full article: Trump and other Republicans conjure a familiar enemy in attacking Democrats as โcommunistsโFormer President Donald Trump's arraignment in federal court has highlighted a popular strategy among Republicans: likening their opponents to โMarxistsโ and โcommunists.โ.
Taiwan leader scrambles for allies in Central America visit
Read full article: Taiwan leader scrambles for allies in Central America visitAs Taiwanโs diplomatic partners dwindle and turn instead to rival China, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is aiming to shore up ties with the self-governing islandโs remaining allies during a trip this week to Central America.
UN: 75% of 6 million Venezuelan migrants go unfed, unhoused
Read full article: UN: 75% of 6 million Venezuelan migrants go unfed, unhousedThe United Nations says almost three-quarters of the 6 million Venezuelan migrants currently in Latin America lack adequate food, shelter, employment or medical care.
Report: 200 environmental activists killed globally in 2021
Read full article: Report: 200 environmental activists killed globally in 2021Some 200 environmental and land defense activists were killed around the world in 2021, including some 54 in Mexico, which assumed the position of the deadliest country.
NBA set to launch first basketball school in Dominican Republic
Read full article: NBA set to launch first basketball school in Dominican RepublicThe National Basketball Association and Mamsa Sports Performance announced a multiyear partnership to launch the first NBA Basketball School in the Dominican Republic.
As US poised to restrict abortion, other nations ease access
Read full article: As US poised to restrict abortion, other nations ease accessAs women in the United States find themselves on the verge of possibly losing the constitutional right to access abortion services, courts in other parts of the world, including in many historically conservative societies, have moved in the opposite direction.
Colombia's highest court legalizes abortion up to 24 weeks
Read full article: Colombia's highest court legalizes abortion up to 24 weeksColombia has become the latest country in Latin America to expand access to abortion, with the nationโs Constitutional Court voting to legalize the procedure until the 24th week of pregnancy.
Leftist millennial wins election as Chile's next president
Read full article: Leftist millennial wins election as Chile's next presidentA leftist millennial who rose to prominence during anti-government protests has been elected Chileโs next president after a bruising campaign against a free-market firebrand likened to Donald Trump.
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UNICEF says malnutrition spikes for Haiti kids amid pandemic
Read full article: UNICEF says malnutrition spikes for Haiti kids amid pandemicA UNICEF report says severe acute childhood malnutrition is expected to more than double this year in Haiti as the country struggles with the coronavirus pandemic, a spike in violence and dwindling resources.
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Inventive books make final 6 for International Booker Prize
Read full article: Inventive books make final 6 for International Booker PrizeBooks from Europe and Latin America that blur the boundaries of fiction, history and memoir are the final six contenders for the 50,000 pound ($69,000) International Booker Prize.
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After outcry, WH says Biden will lift refugee cap in May
Read full article: After outcry, WH says Biden will lift refugee cap in MayFacing swift blowback from allies and aid groups, the White House says President Joe Biden plans to lift his predecessorโs historically low cap on refugees by next month.
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Chinese loans to Latin America plunge as virus strains ties
Read full article: Chinese loans to Latin America plunge as virus strains tiesA deep 7.4% recession in the Latin America and Caribbean last year wiped out nearly a decadeโs worth of growth, according to International Monetary Fund data. The slowdown in lending to Latin America reflects a broader, global pullback, as China turns inward to bolster its own recovery efforts amid the pandemic. The China Development Bank and the foreign ministry didnโt respond to questions about the reasons for the decline in Chinese loans to Latin America. AdFor the regionโs leaders, Chinese loans for big ticket infrastructure projects are hard to resist. No American firms placed bids for the project, which did not directly benefit from any Chinese loans.
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Argentina's abortion law enters force under watchful eyes
Read full article: Argentina's abortion law enters force under watchful eyesThe abortion law goes into force Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)BUENOS AIRES โ Argentinaโs groundbreaking abortion law went into force Sunday under the watchful eyes of womenโs groups and government officials, who hope to ensure its full implementation despite opposition from some conservative and church groups. Supporters of the law say they expect lawsuits from anti-abortion groups in Argentinaโs conservative provinces and some private health clinics might refuse to carry out the procedure. The lawโs supporters expect backlash in Argentinaโs conservative provinces. Gรณmez Alcorta said criminal charges currently pending against more than 1,500 women and doctors who performed abortions should be lifted.
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At 78 and the oldest president, Biden sees a world changed
Read full article: At 78 and the oldest president, Biden sees a world changedWASHINGTON โ When Joe Biden took the oath of office as the 46th president, he became not only the oldest newly inaugurated U.S. chief executive in history but also the oldest sitting president ever. Thatโs 78 days older than President Ronald Reagan was when he left office in 1989. A look at how the country Biden now leads has changed over his lifetime and how his presidency might reflect that. The world population in Bidenโs lifetime has grown from about 2.3 billion to 7.8 billion. The month Biden was born, a dozen eggs averaged about 60 cents in U.S. cities -- two hours of minimum wage work.
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World hopes for renewed cooperation with US under Biden
Read full article: World hopes for renewed cooperation with US under BidenMany expressed hope Biden would right U.S. democracy two weeks after rioters stormed the Capitol, shaking the faith of those fighting for democracy in their own countries. Biden โunderstands the importance of cooperation among nations,โ said former Colombian president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Juan Manuel Santos, who left office in 2018. โPresident Bidenโs message of unity as he takes office is one that resonates with New Zealanders,โ Ardern said. World leaders also acknowledged the history of Vice President Kamala Harris taking office. โThat is an historic moment and one that, I think as a father of daughters, you can only celebrate," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
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Rejecting criticism, Pompeo says US isn't 'banana republic'
Read full article: Rejecting criticism, Pompeo says US isn't 'banana republic'WASHINGTON โ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has met with his designated successor as Americaโs top diplomat and is rejecting suggestions that the United States is a โbanana republicโ because of the attack on the U.S. Capitol. As Pompeo spoke, the State Department instructed U.S. embassies overseas to defend the American political process even while Trump sought to subvert it. โIn the wake of yesterdayโs reprehensible attack on the U.S. Capitol, many prominent people โ including journalists and politicians โ have likened the United States to a banana republic,โ Pompeo said late Thursday. โThe slander reveals a faulty understanding of banana republics and of democracy in America.โโIn a banana republic, mob violence determines the exercise of power,โ he continued. โIn the United States, law enforcement officials quash mob violence so that the peopleโs representatives can exercise power in accordance with the rule of law and constitutional government.
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Bill legalizing abortion passed in pope's native Argentina
Read full article: Bill legalizing abortion passed in pope's native ArgentinaAbortion-rights activists watch live video streaming of lawmakers in session, outside Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. Congress approved a bill that legalize abortion in Argentina. โSafe, legal and free abortion is now the law,โ Fernรกndez tweeted after the vote, noting that it had been an election pledge. The generational shift was reflected in the stance taken by Vice President Fernรกndez de Kirchner. Argentinaโs feminist movement has been demanding legal abortion for more than 30 years and activists say the billโs approval could mark a watershed in Latin America, where the Catholic Church has long dominated.
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Mexico starts giving first shots of Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine
Read full article: Mexico starts giving first shots of Pfizer-BioNtech vaccineThe country's 1.4 million health workers will be the first to get the shots, followed by the elderly, those with underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the disease, and teachers. Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Mexico was the first country in Latin America to get the vaccine, though others were close behind. In Costa Rica, which is the third country in the region to begin using the Pfizer vaccine, the first shot was given Thursday to Elizabeth Castillo, 91. Argentina, which has run into problems obtaining the Pfizer vaccine, received a flight carrying 300,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. Argentina plans to become the first country in Latin America to administer the Russian vaccine starting next week.
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NYC cathedral gunman's note says he planned to take hostages
Read full article: NYC cathedral gunman's note says he planned to take hostagesNew York police officers move in on the scene of a shooting at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in New York. A man was shot by police after shots rang out at the end of a Christmas choral concert on the steps of the Manhattan cathedral Sunday afternoon. The shooting happened just before 4 p.m. at the church which is the mother church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and seat of its bishop. The note was first reported by NBC New York. In the note, the law enforcement official said, Vasquez wrote he did not expect to make it home.
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Fiat Chrysler posts record Q3 profit ahead of PSA merger
Read full article: Fiat Chrysler posts record Q3 profit ahead of PSA mergerMILAN โ A rebound in car production in Fiat Chrysler on Wednesday reported record third-quarter earnings as production returned to nearly pre-pandemic levels. The Italian-American automaker, which is finalizing its full merger with French rival PSA Peugeot, reported a net profit in the three months ending Sept. 30 of 1.2 billion ($1.4 billion). The carmaker reported adjusted earnings before tax and interest in North America of 2.5 billion euros. Overall, the carmaker said global earnings before tax and interest were a record 2.3 billion euros despite a 6% fall in revenues to 26 billion euros. Fiat Chrysler announced earlier Wednesday that its merger with PSA Peugeot is on track to be finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2021, as planned.
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Colombia reaches 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases
Read full article: Colombia reaches 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)BOGOTA โ Colombia reached 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday, becoming the second country in Latin America to report that number in less than a week. The nation of 50 million saw cases peak in August and has seen a decline since but still continues to register around 8,000 new infections a day. Argentina hit 1 million confirmed cases on Monday and Peru and Mexico are expected to reach the grim marker in the weeks ahead. Brazil ranks third worldwide in the number of virus cases and passed 1 million infections back in June. Colombia has become the eighth country to hit 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases.
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The Latest: Imported workers test positive in New Zealand
Read full article: The Latest: Imported workers test positive in New ZealandAll remain in quarantine at a Christchurch hotel, and health officials say they expect more to test positive. โ British PM Johnson imposing strict coronavirus restrictions on Greater Manchester, Englandโs second-largest urban area, after talks fail on financial support. Local health officials said Tuesday that the surge is overwhelming their ability to confront the pandemic. Officials say coronavirus cases related to the university represent 61% of the total in Washtenaw County, compared to just 2% in August. ___PHOENIX โ Arizona reported more than 1,000 daily coronavirus cases for the second time in a week.
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Argentina hits 1 million cases as virus slams Latin America
Read full article: Argentina hits 1 million cases as virus slams Latin AmericaArgentina reached 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, according to the Ministry of Health. But as Argentina passed 1 million virus cases Monday, it is now smaller cities like Ushuaia that are seeing some of the most notable upticks. Argentina has seen cases spiral despite instituting one of the worldโs longest lockdowns. โWe had a plateau.โThroughout the region, testing remains a hurdle. Brazil reached 1 million cases in June and now is up to 5.2 million for the pandemic.
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UN: Pandemic has cost 34 million jobs in Latin America
Read full article: UN: Pandemic has cost 34 million jobs in Latin AmericaAll rights reserved)MEXICO CITY โ The U.N.โs International Labour Organization said Wednesday that at least 34 million jobs have been lost in Latin America due to the coronavirus pandemic. The count was up from the ILOโs previous estimates in early August that 14 million jobs had been lost in the region. The organization's Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Vinรญcius Pinheiro, called it โan unprecedented challenge.โPinheiro said the third quarter had brought a recovery in economic activity and, according to preliminary data, a tentative recovery in employment. The ILO figures were based on data from nine countries which account for 80% of the region's workforce. The ILO lists Latin America and the Caribbean as the worst-hit region in the world in terms of lost working hours, with a drop of 20.9% in the first three quarters of the year, compared to an average of 11.7% worldwide.
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Pandemic's toll among journalists in Peru is especially high
Read full article: Pandemic's toll among journalists in Peru is especially highWhats happening with the journalists in Peru is somewhat a reflection of whats happening with the Peruvian population, said Zuliana Lainez, secretary general of the National Association of Journalists of Peru, a union based in Lima. At least 82 reporters in Peru died from the disease between March 16, when Peru imposed a lockdown because of the health crisis, and Aug. 17, according to the association. The Press Emblem Campaign, a Geneva-based group launched by journalists, said July 1 that Peru had lost the most journalists to COVID-19 of any country in the world. It has logged 560,000 coronavirus cases, placing it in the top 10 countries half of them in Latin America with the most confirmed cases in the world. Freelancer Ricardo Gutirrez Aparicio was among the first Peruvian journalists reported to have died of COVID-19.
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El Salvador political stalemate a drag on pandemic response
Read full article: El Salvador political stalemate a drag on pandemic responseSAN SALVADOR For months, the strictest measures confronting the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America seemed to keep infections in check in El Salvador, but a gradual reopening combined with a political stalemate has seen infections increase nearly fourfold. Both have an eye on legislative elections scheduled for early next year and appear unwilling to cede any advantage. Its a reversal in a country that early in the pandemic seemed to have the situation under control. But the legislative body has declined to do so, and lawmakers have been locked in a monthslong standoff with Bukele. "If El Salvador collapses, we all go down and were already sinking.
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UN refugee agency fears for displaced Venezuelans amid COVID
Read full article: UN refugee agency fears for displaced Venezuelans amid COVIDOf course, it is good that countries are taking these measures of prudence against the virus, Grandi said. The impact could be especially stark for 3.7 million Venezuelans abroad, the world's second-largest nationality of refugees after the 6.6 million Syrians displaced by their country's war. One region about which were very worried is, of course, Latin America and South America and in particular where countries host many millions of Venezuelans, Grandi said in an interview. Amid the outbreak, UNHCR has stepped up its cash transfer programs that put money directly in the pockets of displaced people. Grandi says 65 countries now benefit from such programs, and we have added 40 countries in just the last few months.
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Spread of coronavirus fuels corruption in Latin America
Read full article: Spread of coronavirus fuels corruption in Latin AmericaEven amid a global pandemic, theres no sign that corruption is slowing down in Latin America. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)MIAMI Even in a pandemic, there's no slowdown for swindlers in Latin America. Coronavirus clusters are still spreading in Latin America, fueling a spike in deaths, swamping already-precarious hospitals and threatening to ravage slumping economies. To be sure, disasters breed corruption all over the world, not just in Latin America. But stealing state funds is especially vexing in Latin America because of gaping poverty and a tattered social safety net.
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Holiday amid pandemic: Americans divided on how to respond
Read full article: Holiday amid pandemic: Americans divided on how to respondStatewide, New York reported its lowest number of daily coronavirus deaths 84 in many weeks in what Gov. To the south, Trump played golf at one of his private clubs for the first time during the pandemic the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. He has been pushing for state and local leaders to fully reopen after months of closures and tight restrictions. New coronavirus cases reported in China were zero Saturday for the first time since the outbreak began but surged in India and overwhelmed hospitals across Latin America. Religious events helped spread the virus early in the pandemic; resuming such gatherings is an especially thorny issue.
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The Latest: Nevada's shuttered casinos could reopen June 4
Read full article: The Latest: Nevada's shuttered casinos could reopen June 4(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. Steve Sisolak has set a tentative June 4 date for reopening the states shuttered casinos, including the famous glitzy casinos of Las Vegas. Tate Reeves says he is adding another week to his statewide safer at home order because of the coronavirus pandemic. ___ROME All residents of nursing homes in Lombardy, Italys worst-stricken region in the COVID-19 pandemic, have now been tested for the infection. State health officials plan another round of testing at the facility next week.
Morales' exit stymies comeback for Latin America's left
Read full article: Morales' exit stymies comeback for Latin America's leftPolice patrol on the sidelines of a march by supporters of former President Evo Morales, arriving from El Alto and entering La Paz, Bolivia, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019. But the upheaval that has recently rocked the region, threatening Trump allies and anti-imperialist governments alike, defies easy categorization. "The left had a very long stretch but it's unlikely to be repeated," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue. Prior to Morales' resignation, the left had been hoping for a comeback following the 2017 election last year of far-right populist Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. "The left was attractive for a very long time and justifiably so because it spoke for the people when nobody else did," said Arana.
Threat to US elections in 2020 is not limited to Russia
Read full article: Threat to US elections in 2020 is not limited to RussiaWASHINGTON, DC Russia interfered in the 2016 election and may try to sway next year's vote as well. American officials sounding the alarm about foreign efforts to disrupt the 2020 election include multiple countries in that warning. "All of those countries in different ways are clearly interested in engaging in malign foreign influence," he added. Special counsel Robert Mueller exposed through his investigation the unregistered, covert Russian campaign to spread disinformation on social media. U.S. officials said the foreign influence campaigns didn't change midterm vote totals, but there's no question that concern remains for 2020.