World Watch: Escape

* Ivory Coast: A humanitarian crisis is rapidly developing on the Ivory Coast as an estimated one million refugees are fleeing the country.

* Portugal: The E.U. is considering a hefty bailout for Portugal after legislators rejected government-backed austerity measures.

* Canada: The Conservative Party-led government was defeated today after a vote of no confidence in the Canadian parliament.

* World: Unrest in Libya and the recent natural disasters in Japan could hurt the global auto industry according to this article.

Image – Reuters via Al Jazeera English (“The UNHCR's estimates of the number of displaced nearly doubled in the past week amid ongoing fighting.”)
Online Sources- USA TODAY, Xinhua, Bloomberg, euronews

Daily Headlines: February 10, 2010 (Updated)

* Latin America: A number of soccer friendlies were played on Wednesday including Brazil losing to France, Spain surviving a scare against Colombia, and a game-winner for Lio Messi.

* Peru: A “red alert” was declared by health officials for northern Peru as a result of an outbreak of dengue fever. (Update: Authorities in Brazil claimed that the number of dengue cases in Rio de Janeiro doubled last month compared to January 2010).

* Mexico: U.S. Army Undersecretary Joseph Westphal backtracked from remarks where he deemed Mexican drug gangs as “insurgents.”

* Haiti: The U.S. State Department would prefer that former President Jean Bertrand Aristide not return from exile though it's unclear if he will try to do so.

Image – Denis Balibouse/REUTERS via The Guardian (“Lionel Messi celebrates his goal during Argentina's friendly win over Portugal in Geneva.”)
Online Sources- ESPN, Bloomberg, France24, Reuters, CSMonitor.com

Maradona to return to the sidelines?

Diego Maradona was one of the best soccer stars of all time (“Hand of God” notwithstanding) yet his record as a coach has been disappointing. As head of the Argentine men’s national team he came under fire for selecting too many players to the squad, thus resulting in a few embarrassing losses during the World Cup qualifying process. His war with the media continued after Argentina made it into this year’s World Cup where a talented team ended with a woeful 4-0 quarterfinal loss to Germany. Shortly after the tournament ended, Maradona was fired and it seemed doubtful that any club or nation would hire such a volatile personality as a coach.

Will Portugal step forward and take the chance?

Former Argentina boss Diego Maradona is interested in taking over the Portugal job after Carlos Queiroz was sacked last week, according to reports…

"It's true [Maradona is interested],'' Alejandro Mancuso, one of Maradona's assistants during his spell as Argentina coach, told the A Bola sports daily. ''Diego and I talked about it, and it is a project that attracts us. He is willing and has availability, but has not been contacted yet."

The Portuguese soccer federation (FPF) is reportedly interested in a foreign coach for its team, which is why Maradona’s name has been floated around. Yet there are rumors that other more experienced former coaches may be in the running for the Portuguese post such as Mexican Javier Aguirre and Argentine Jose Pekerman.

With the FPF supposedly seeking a permanent replacement for Queiroz by next month, Maradona may be in a prime position to return to the sidelines and lead the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Hugo Almeida. Perhaps that would be a better birthday gift for El Diez instead of risking being arrested at his birthday bash next month in Italy.

Image- AFP
Online Sources- AFP, ESPN, Reuters, The Latin Americanist

World Watch: Baby steps?

* Middle East: Some progress was made this week yet plenty of obstacles still remain to be tackled in future discussions between the leaders of Israel and Palestine.

* Portugal: Six men including a former TV presenter were sentenced after being convicted of child sex abuse at an orphanage.

* New Zealand: No major damages have been reported in a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that shook New Zealand.

* Pakistan: At least 53 people were killed when a bomb exploded at a political rally in southwestern Pakistan.

Image – CNN (“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas make a public display before Hillary Clinton.”)
Online Sources- CNN, BBC News, Voice of America, Christian Science Monitor

World Watch: Alone

* Libya: A ten-year-old Dutch boy is said to be the only survivor of a fatal plane crash that killed over 100 people.

* Portugal: Pope Benedict XVI traveled to the holy shrine at Fatima and reportedly prayed that priests do not “succumb to the temptations of the evil one.”

* Israel: The Israeli foreign minister claimed that North Korean arms seized in Thailand last December were destined for Hamas and Hezbollah.

* Philippines: Begnino "Noynoy" Aquino- son of former president Corazon Aquino- appears to be the winner in Monday’s Philippine presidential elections.

Image – PRESS TV
Online Sources- BBC News, Voice of America, New York Times, MSNBC

Daily Headlines: August 10, 2009

* Mexico: The Los Angeles Times examines the mysterious murders and disappearances of hundreds of girls and young women from the border city of Ciudad Juarez.

* Haiti: Officials and activists denounced the alleged abandonment of disabled children due to a growing birth rate and undue stigmatization.

* Cuba: Portugal becomes the latest country to accept prisoners (in this case, a pair of Syrians) from the detention center at Guantanamo.

* Brazil: Three athletes who were training for next week’s world track championships received two-year bans after testing positive for banned drugs.

Image- daylife.com (“Women walk past a cross in Ciudad Juarez April 10, 2008, put up in memory of women murdered in the city since 1993.”)
Online Sources- Los Angeles Times, AFP, UPI, CBC

Daily Headlines: June 22, 2009

* Ecuador: President Rafael Correa said that he would consider allowing Ecuador to throw out foreign oil firms that sue the state in international courts.

* Peru: President Alan Garcia’s popularity has hit its lowest point in eight months as people are indignant over his handling of anti-government protests.

* Mexico: Over 1500 additional troops have been sent to the border city of Ciudad Juarez in an attempt to stop drug-related violence.

* U.S.: Portugal could join fellow E.U. members Italy and (possibly) Spain in taking in detainees from the Guantanamo prison camp.

Image- CNBC
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, LAHT, Washington Post, ABC Online, AHN

Daily Headlines: September 29, 2008

* Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez’ trip abroad continued with a deal for 1 million laptops from Portugal and then chatting with Fidel Castro in Havana.

* Mexico: In response to rampant crime several legislators have suggested restoring the death penalty.

* Nicaragua: The stepdaughter of President Daniel Ortega dropped her case against him accusing him of child abuse and rape.

* Brazil: Could the G8 be expanded to include Brazil? One Italian official hopes so.

Image- Guardian UK (“Hugo Chavez visits Fidel Castro in hospital, August 2006. Photograph: AFP-Getty.”)

Sources- MSNBC, IHT, El Universal, Reuters India, Monsters & Critics

Daily Headlines: May 15, 2008

* Brazil: Environment minister Marina Silva resigned on Tuesday in a move decried by environmentalists.

* Latin America: Did economic pressure from the World Bank at underdeveloped countries fuel the global food crisis?

* Venezuela: The Venezuelan and Portuguese heads of state signed an oil-for-food deal in anticipation of this weekend’s European Union-Latin America summit.

* Chile: The evacuated town of Chaiten will be shutdown for three months due to the eruptions of a nearby volcano.

Sources- Monsters & Critics, Bloomberg, MSNBC, BBC News

Image- MSNBC (“Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula of Silva, right, speaks with his Environment Minister Marina Silva at an Amazon conservation program in Brasilia on May 8. The minister resigned Tuesday.”)

News briefs – Immigration

* The U.S. Senate is expected to vote today on the DREAM Act; the proposal would grant a path for legalization of immigrant children who have completed a minimum two years of military service or post-secondary education.

* Representatives of a labor union representing construction workers in the Dominican Republic have denounced the “quiet invasion” of Haitians into that industry. Of the approximately one million Haitians live in the neighboring Dominican Republic most work in the construction and sugar industries.

* Los Angeles police chief William Bratton and a former White House antiterrorism czar have publicly backed a New York plan to provide driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. Meanwhile, a bill that would overturn the license plan was passed in the state Senate but is unexpected to be approved by the Assembly.

* Chile’s government has offered amnesty to about 20,000 illegal immigrants residing there. In addition, Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley announced a plan that would allow migrant laborers in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America to shift their retirement benefits to their home nations.

Sources (English)- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, USA TODAY, New York Times – City Room, Gothamist, BBC News, International Herald Tribune

Source (Spanish)- El Diario/La Prensa

Image- NPR