International
Brazil’s unemployment continues to fall to new seven-year low
January 19 | By AFP |
Brazil’s unemployment continued to fall in the three months from September to November 2022, hitting a new seven-year low of 8.1 percent, official figures published on Thursday showed.
It is the sixth successive rolling quarter that unemployment figures have fallen, reaching the lowest figure since April 2015.
With 8.7 million people seeking employment, that is 3.7 million fewer than a year ago, the IBGE statistics institute said.
Unemployment in Latin America’s biggest economy is down 0.8 percent on the previous rolling quarter, and 3.5 percent down on the equivalent period in 2021, when unemployment sat at 11.6 percent.
Brazil continues to recover from the economic crash caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, during which employment soared to a high of 14.7 percent in the first quarter of 2021.
The improved figures come from the end of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro’s term in office.
He was replaced January 1 by veteran socialist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in October’s fractious elections.
Lula has promised to improve the spending power of the lowest paid workers and to boost social programs.
Real revenues jumped three percent compared to the previous rolling quarter and were up 7.1 percent on the equivalent period in 2021.
But 38.8 million out of Brazil’s 215 million population work in the informal sector, mostly without an employment contract and in precarious conditions.
Central America
Mexico and Guatemala launch joint security operation after Agua Zarca border attack
The Government of Mexico announced on Tuesday that it has strengthened coordination with Guatemala following an armed confrontation in the community of Agua Zarca, in Guatemala’s Huehuetenango department, where a soldier was wounded in an attack attributed to organized-crime groups operating on both sides of the border.
The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, confirmed that Mexico is exchanging information with Guatemalan authorities and that Mexican Army units have been deployed along the border to reinforce surveillance and assist in reconnaissance operations.
The attack, Guatemala’s Defense Ministry stated, reflects the “criminal dynamics” dominating that border region, where different groups compete for drug and arms trafficking routes.
According to Guatemala’s Defense Ministry, the clash left a soldier wounded in the leg after suspected criminals crossed from Mexico and opened fire. The wounded soldier is reportedly in stable condition. Authorities also seized high-caliber weapons, explosives, tactical gear and drones, which were handed over for forensic analysis.
Mexican Defense Secretary General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo announced that a coordinated plan of operations will be launched involving both Mexican and Guatemalan forces along the border to counter these criminal networks.
Harfuch emphasized that the violence is not isolated but symptomatic of the ongoing struggle between criminal organizations for territorial control, and reiterated Mexico’s commitment to bilateral security cooperation and its intention to strengthen institutional presence in vulnerable border zones.
International
Zelensky meets Pope Leo XIV as review of U.S. peace plan continues
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met on Tuesday with Pope Leo XIV in Italy, after pledging to deliver a response to the United States regarding the proposed peace plan aimed at ending the war with Russia.
The meeting with the pontiff took place at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, where Leo XIV “reiterated the need to continue dialogue and renewed his urgent hope that the ongoing diplomatic initiatives may lead to a just and lasting peace,” the Vatican said in a statement.
His visit to Italy follows Monday’s meetings with European leaders in London and Brussels, amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to agree to a peace plan that Zelensky said he is still reviewing.
According to Zelensky, the plan presented by Washington—originally consisting of 28 points—was reduced to 20 after discussions between Ukrainian and U.S. representatives over the weekend. “We are going to work on those 20 points. We are not completely satisfied with the proposals from our partners,” Zelensky said during an online press conference on Monday.
International
Japan lifts tsunami alert after strong 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits northern coast
A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s northern coast on Monday, triggering several tsunami waves of up to 70 centimeters, authorities said. The tsunami alert was lifted in the early hours of Tuesday.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at 11:15 p.m. local time (14:15 GMT) off the coast of Misawa, at a depth of 53 kilometers. Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) immediately issued a tsunami warning. The first wave reached a port in Aomori Prefecture at 11:43 p.m. (14:43 GMT), followed by others measuring up to 70 centimeters.
Public broadcaster NHK reported that an employee at a hotel in the city of Hachinohe confirmed that several people were injured. Live footage showed shattered glass scattered across roads, while many residents evacuated to the city hall seeking shelter.
The strong tremor was also felt in Sapporo, where emergency alerts were sent to residents’ mobile phones. A reporter in Hokkaido described a horizontal shaking that lasted around 30 seconds, making it difficult to stay standing.
Before the alert was lifted, the JMA had warned of the possibility of tsunami waves up to three meters high along Japan’s Pacific coast. Government spokesperson Minoru Kihara urged residents to remain in safe areas until the warning was officially lifted.
Mexico and Guatemala launch joint security operation after Agua Zarca border attack
Honduran University: Nullifying elections without proof of fraud undermines popular sovereignty
CNA director says Libre’s defeat stems from “lack of substance,” not messaging
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days agoCatalonia’s president calls for greater ambition in defending democracy
-
International3 days agoFive laboratories investigated in Spain over possible African Swine Fever leak
-
Central America3 days agoHonduras vote vount drags on as Asfura and Nasralla remain in technical tie
-
International1 day agoJapan lifts tsunami alert after strong 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits northern coast
-
International5 days agoMaría Corina Machado says Venezuela’s political transition “must take place”
-
Central America1 day agoGuatemalan soldier wounded in clash with suspected mexican armed group near border
-
Central America1 day agoGuatemala reverses asset seizures after judge replacement, benefiting ex-president and former ministers
-
International1 day agoInterior Dept. redefines 2026 Patriotic Days, sparking criticism over removed civil rights holidays
-
Central America7 hours agoHonduran University: Nullifying elections without proof of fraud undermines popular sovereignty
-
Central America7 hours agoMexico and Guatemala launch joint security operation after Agua Zarca border attack
-
Central America7 hours agoCNA director says Libre’s defeat stems from “lack of substance,” not messaging
-
International7 hours agoZelensky meets Pope Leo XIV as review of U.S. peace plan continues