Topic: Panama

All Content

U.N. votes to upgrade Palestine's status

In a vote at the United Nations in New York on Thursday, the body granted Palestine the title of "non-member observer state". Palestinians celebrated the outcome, while the United States and Israel denounced it.
In Gear An electric vehicle made of wicker?

An entrepreneur wants to bring back wicker-bodied 'electriquettes' designed to parade around the Panama-California Exposition grounds in San Diego between 1915 and 1916.
Latin America Monitor McAfee flees from Belize authorities - should he fear the police?

John McAfee, a pioneer of antivirus software, is on the run after accusations of murder. He has said he fears for his life if caught by Belizean police, one of the most honest forces in the region.
The Fish That Ate the Whale

'The Fish That Ate the Whale' is an elegantly written cautionary tale about how hubris can destroy a powerful company.
Cover Story How rising food prices are impacting the world

High grain costs, caused by severe drought, are hitting dinner tables from Guatemala to China. But the world has learned valuable lessons since the food shocks of 2008. Will it be enough to prevent social unrest?
Scientists release list of world's 100 most threatened species

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has comp.iled a list of 100 species from 48 countries, which they say will soon disappear if nothing is done to protect them.
El Salvador rattled by 7.3 earthquake late Sunday

El Salvador earthquake: The 7.3 magnitude quake struck offshore, followed by a 5.4 aftershock. No injuries reported. A small tsunami formed, but the tsunami warning has been cancelled.
Cover Story How Latin America is reinventing the war on drugs

Frustrated with US dictates, countries across the region are floating new ideas to curb drug trafficking, from 'soft' enforcement to legalization.
Rodent thieves explain mystery of tree survival

Thievery by rodents moved an estimated 87 percent of seeds beyond the immediate vicinity of the parent tree, according to a study.
Bizarre prehistoric giant turtle was almost perfectly round

A huge turtle that lived some 60 million years ago in what is now South America had a circular shell, say paleontologists.
South Korea: If Japan can hunt whales, so can we

South Korea's bid to resume whaling may be designed more to attract a key voting bloc during an election year than to benefit science. It has been largely condemned by the international community.
Man recounts collision with whale that sunk his boat

A Northern California whose 50-foot sailboat sank off the coast of western Mexico after colliding with a whale tells his story.
Latin America Monitor Central America: one of the happiest regions on earth?

According to the new Happy Planet Index, Central America is one of the happiest regions in the world. Don't mind the violence.
Keep Calm Should Columbia University have admitted Syrian dictator Assad's former press aide?

When Columbia University admitted Sheherazad Jaafari, a former aide to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, many students objected. But she's not the first controversial student at a US-based university.
Editor's Blog Does nation-building work?

The term "nation-building" smacks of colonialism. But when war has broken a country, nation-building is a moral duty -- and the best way to build is with equal parts outside and inside effort.
Latin America Monitor Lost in translation: English in Brazil

Brazil is considered a 'low English proficiency' country, and ranks among the lowest in the world for workplace fluency, putting the emerging economy at a disadvantage, writes a guest blogger.
Arizona immigration law: Mexico gets involved in US Supreme Court case

The Arizona immigration law threatens Mexico-US relations, says a brief submitted on behalf of Mexico and 16 other countries ahead of Wednesday’s oral argument at the Supreme Court.
Latin America Monitor Princess Cruise passes stranded fishing boat, denting cruisliners' image again

A luxury liner sailed past a stranded fishing boat from Panama, even though passengers aboard spotted three men adrift. Two of the fishermen died.
Change Agent Shakira advocates for children at the Summit of the Americas

Shakira will meet with heads of state, including President Obama, at the Summit of the Americas in Colombia. Shakira is already working to provide better education to children.
The Monitor's View Lift Latin America's 'drug curse'

At the Summit of the Americas, Obama will likely be asked to discuss alternatives to the get-tough tactics on the drug trade – even to endorse legalization. He should point to Latin America's successes in giving economic alternatives to drug trafficking.
Al Qaeda rocked by apparent cyberattack. But who did it?

Al Qaeda's core jihadi websites have all been hit by an apparent cyberattack. For a group in flux, it's a big blow, but the nature of the attack raises questions about who's responsible.
Panama Canal expansion to ease international trade, with a grain of salt

The economic impacts of the canal expansion have been widely cited, but environmental repercussions like the contamination of drinking water with salt water may be overlooked.
Titanoboa: How did a snake ever get so big?

Titanoboa: The new Smithsonian exhibit in Grand Central Station displays a replica of the largest snake in history, the 48-foot titanoboa. Why don't huge snakes exist today?
Flood warnings for Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri

Heavy rains and flooding are forecast to continue in eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and western Missouri, says the National Weather Service.
Life Sentences: Literary Judgments and Accounts

In 'Life Sentences,' author and critic William H. Gass entrances the reader with his lilting prose and skilled literary criticism.