Brazil
Global democracy perception of US collapses, behind Russia and China for first time
A survey of nearly 100,000 people across 98 countries has found that global perception of the US has collapsed to its lowest recorded level — placing it among the five most negatively perceived countries in the world, behind both Russia and China,
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Lula courts Trump with rare earths offer as Brazil seeks tariff reprieve
Rare earths, tariffs and Bolsonaro's shadow: what Lula's White House meeting with Trump really means for Brazil.
Solar-plus-storage fall below those of fossil fuels - IRENA
wRenewable power paired with battery storage is becoming cost-competitive with fossil fuels for around-the-clock electricity supply, according to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
BEYOND THE BOSPORUS: Istanbul “lawfare” echoes Brazil playbook as Imamoglu trial mirrors elimination of Lula
Stinging comparison between Turkish judiciary’s actions and "Car Wash" moves that once upended Brazilian democracy.
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Brazil services PMI rebounds to 52.3 in April as fuel costs squeeze margins
Brazil's services PMI climbed to 52.3 in April from 50.1 in March, S&P Global said, as the sector returned to growth despite cost pressures linked to higher fuel and transport prices driven by the Middle East war.
Super El Niño threat could add to Iran war inflation shock
A growing risk of a “Super El Niño” later this year is fuelling concerns among economists and commodity traders that it will only add to the inflation shock already on the way as a result of spiking energy prices due to the Iran war.
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Brazil manufacturing hits 14-month high in April as export surge offsets domestic slump
Brazil's manufacturing sector swung back into expansion in April, with the purchasing managers' index (PMI) climbing to a 14-month peak of 52.6 points from 49.0 in March.
China's lithium push in Latin America locks region into raw materials trap, report warns
Beijing controls 65% of global lithium refining while Latin America supplies the raw materials and absorbs the environmental costs. A new report warns the region risks permanent relegation to the bottom of the energy transition value chain.
Low-carbon sources met all of 2025’s electricity demand growth - OWID
Solar and wind energy have grown quickly in recent years, but global electricity demand has grown faster. So while their share of electricity generation kept rising, it wasn't enough to push fossil fuels into absolute decline.
Coal mines are leaking vast amounts of methane into the atmosphere and almost no one is measuring it - Ember
Almost five years after 159 countries signed the Global Methane Pledge committing to cut anthropogenic methane emissions by 30% by 2030, coal mines are releasing roughly the same amount of the potent greenhouse gases.
COMMENT: We are fighting the wrong war
Imagine if an alien bug invaded the earth. I'm not talking about the big slick black monsters that bite your head off from the Alien franchise. I'm talking about tiny little nondescript bugs that gnaw away at plants and have a taste for concrete.
Renewables met 100% of global electricity demand growth in 2025 that will speed America's decline
For the first time in history, renewables covered all new global electricity demand in 2025, and the oil shock of the Iran war will only accelerate the move away from the reliance on fossil fuels, according to a report by Ember.
Income share of world’s richest 10% vs 0.1% in Latam - OWID
One way to measure income inequality is to look at the share of all income that goes to the top income earners. The chart plots this for all seven South American countries with comparable 2022 pre-tax income estimates.
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ECLAC cuts Latin America growth forecast as Middle East war fans inflation
ECLAC trims Latin America's 2026 growth forecast to 2.2%, warning that soaring oil prices, tighter credit and slowing global trade are locking the region into a fourth consecutive year of sluggish expansion.
A super El Niño due this year and the world is not ready
The numbers released last week by an international consortium of climate scientists are remarkable in their uniformity. Every single key indicator of the state of the Earth's climate system set a new record in 2025. And not in a good way.
Latin America's unfinished battle with inflation leaves the region exposed to the Iran shock
The Middle East conflict has landed on Latin America at an awkward moment. After two years of gradual progress bringing inflation under control, the region's central banks now face the prospect of that effort being undone by an external conflict.
IMF: Can advanced economies avoid debt distress?
Many highly indebted advanced economies face a grim fiscal outlook. Under current policies, the public debt ratios of countries including Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States are set to deteriorate over the next two decades.
Which countries have fertility rates above the replacement level - OWID
Fertility rates — which measure the average number of children per woman — have been falling worldwide. Since 1950, global fertility rates have halved, from almost 5 children per woman to 2.2, Our World in Data (OWID) reports.
Renewables overtake coal in global electricity mix – Statista
Ten years after the Paris Agreement was opened for signature by member states at the UN Headquarters in New York on April 22, 2016, the global energy transition is beginning to reshape the electricity mix, Statista reports.
Latin America oils up as Hormuz crisis reshapes global energy supply
From Vaca Muerta to the Orinoco, Latin America is sitting on the world's most coveted untapped crude. The Iran war may finally force it to act.