Brazil
Lula-Zelensky meeting falls through again at troubled G7 summit
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva departed the G7 summit in Alberta, Canada, on June 17 without holding a planned meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite Kyiv’s request for bilateral talks.
Spanish-led right-wing alliance plots Latin American electoral sweep
A coalition of conservative and far-right parties from Spain and Latin America has declared its intention to secure victory in seven general elections across the region scheduled for this year and 2026.
COMMENT: Middle East oil shock scenarios pose inflation risk, but economic hit seen as modest
The threat of escalating conflict between Israel and Iran has returned geopolitical risk to the heart of the global oil market. Yet according to Oxford Economics, the macroeconomic fallout – even in the most extreme case – may be mild.
Number of recorded disasters up 50-fold since 1970 – OWID
Tracking the occurrence of natural disasters can save lives by helping countries prepare for future ones, Our World in Data (OWID) reports.
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Latin America splits over Iran-Israel conflict
The escalating Iran-Israel conflict has exposed deep fractures across Latin America, with governments from Buenos Aires to Caracas staking out opposing positions that lay bare deep-rooted political divisions.
Ukraine’s “enemies database” adds foreign leaders over Moscow ties
A Ukrainian website that catalogues perceived "enemies of Ukraine" has added several prominent Russia-friendly foreign leaders to its database, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
CITIES IN PERIL: Adapting the concrete heart of São Paulo to a changing climate
When the rains come to Latin America’s largest metropolis, water reclaims ancient paths buried beneath layers of concrete.
Lula urges Macron to drop opposition to EU-Mercosur agreement
Lula-Macron presidential meeting in Paris highlights European divisions over pact that could reshape transatlantic commerce.
EU selects 13 global strategic raw materials projects to boost supply security
European Commission publishes list with projects in Emerging Europe, Central Asia, Africa and elsewhere as bloc strives to reduce dependency on a handful of global suppliers.
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Brazil’s GDP to slow to around 2% in 2025 on structural challenges, say IMF and OECD
International financial institutions have revised Brazil's GDP growth projections for 2025, with the IMF predicting now higher growth than in the last forecast, at 2.3%, and the OECD forecasting that GDP is to expand 2.1%.
Brazil’s Lula state visit to France to focus on climate and trade
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has landed in France to begin a state visit scheduled until June 9, with trade and climate hot topics on his agenda.
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Moody’s warns of Brazil’s rising debt burden, downgrades credit outlook
Brazil’s debt affordability is deteriorating and progress on fiscal reforms has proved slower than expected, clouding the sovereign credit outlook, credit rating agency Moody’s said.
Fires could turn Amazon rainforest into a desert
Fires could turn the Amazon rainforest into a desert as human activity and climate change threaten ‘lungs of the world’, says a study.
BRICS nations formulate first ever joint Climate Crisis policy
The BRICS bloc approved its first coordinated climate finance framework on May 30, marking the group’s first unified policy to fund climate action and setting the foundation for a shared position ahead of the COP30 meeting due to be held in Brazil.
COVID is back - a new "NB.1.8.1" strain is spreading across continents
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is back. Reports from health authorities around the world have detected a new highly contagious strain of the virus that has been spreading through Asia and has now reached Russia.
LATAM BLOG: The elusive dream of connecting two oceans by rail
The Bi-Oceanic Railway promises to connect Brazil’s Atlantic coast with Peru’s Pacific port of Chancay. Yet this grand vision remains more geopolitical statement than reality, facing immense logistical, environmental, and political challenges.
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Brazil's airline Azul files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to restructure pandemic debt
Brazilian airline Azul has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US as it seeks to restructure billions of dollars in mostly pandemic-era debt.
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Latin America faces investment drought as fiscal space shrinks, ECLAC says
ECLAC report highlights the region's struggle with low public investment amid mounting debt pressures.
COMMENT: Ranking the top 60 economies’ exposure to US tariffs
US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 50% tariff hike on the EU has put the cat amongst the pigeons again. If he follows through then Europe, which is highly dependent on US trade, will be amongst the most damaged economies in the world.
Countdown to disaster: timelines to cross temperature thresholds tabulated
The Climate Crisis is accelerating and all the main players predict that the world will warm by more than the 1.5C Paris Agreement target by next year and the 2C maximum will be broached by 2037 – far earlier than previously forecast.