Daily Headlines: September 26, 2008

* Latin America: Representing the ALAS foundation, singers Shakira and Alejandro Sanz urged several Latin American leaders to do more in helping poor children throughout the region.

* Mexico: Could the U.S. learn from Mexico’s bailout plan during their mid-1990s economic crisis?

* Latin America: Haiti, Venezuela and Ecuador are among the region’s most corrupt countries according to a report from Transparency International.

* Dominican Republic: President Leonel Fernandez has announced plans for the development of a second subway line months after the controversial construction of the country’s first line.

Image- ITN (Shakira sits next to Mexican president Felipe Calderon during a conference on Thursday at Colombia University in New York.)

Sources- The Latin Americanist, IHT, El Universal, Bloomberg, forbes.com

Daily Headlines: June 29, 2008

* Cuba: Scientists have claimed to have created the first lung cancer vaccine which is being used in the island’s hospitals.

* Spain: Alejandro Sanz, Carlinhos Brown, and Shakira are some of the musicians that will be performing at the Rock in Rio festival in Spain.

* Argentina: According to a U.N. report Argentina is the top cocaine consumer in Latin America.

* Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez could be asked to testify in the trial of a Venezuelan businessman who was arrested in Italy and charged with drug trafficking.

Image- NBC News World Blog (“Dr. Gisela Gonzalez, head of the Cuban cancer research team, holding vials of the new drug.”)

Sources- AFP, SignOnSanDiego.com, Reuters UK, Xinhua,

Daily Headlines: February 15, 2008

* Over 100 celebrities including David Beckham, Ricky Martin, and Penelope Cruz have publicly backed Alejandro Sanz [image] in his dispute with the Venezuelan government.

* Did illegal loggers kill as many as fifteen natives in the Ecuadorian rainforest?

* Coca-Cola’s fourth-quarter profit grew higher than expected partly due to increased sales in Latin America.

* Approximately 4000 people demanding easier access to yellow fever vaccinations blockaded a highway in Paraguay.

* Follow-up: Mounting delays in handling immigration applications in the U.S. have forced officials to try to streamline the process for seeking a green card.

Sources- MSNBC, BBC News, The Latin Americanist, International Herald Tribune, Bloomberg

Image- Typically Spanish