Each year Brazil moves up in the ranking, this year in ends on the 12th place, above Belgium which ranks on 16, Germany (33), and France (44).  By end large, rich countries are happier.
Spain falls down to no. 17 of  21 European countries in terms of happiness.

adjective thriving is well chosen:
“Subjects that reportyed high scores were considered “thriving”.  “The percentage of thriving individuals in each country determined our rankings.”

Full study here.

Hattip to Geert De Doncker for the link.

Tags: Gallup world Poll

We wrote previously about the increasingly stronger ties between Brazil and the Middle East.
Qatar Airways just confirmed it will start operating daily flights between Doha and Sao Paulo (GRU) as from june on.

Now we are awaiting for TAM’s announcement on direct flights between Brussels and Brazil.

Tags: qatar sao paulo

The ties between Brazil and the middle East have been growing increasingly stronger over the past year.
Last March 3d, Hillary went to Brazil with a preach on Teheran; Terence Neilan called the initiative “When Hillary Clinton meets with Brazil’s president today, it will be a case of the hawk meeting the dove on the subject of Iran”.

Last November Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Brasilia.  Lula then said Iran should not be sanctioned for its nuclear program.

And Clinton’s visit last week was a complete faillure; Brazil won’t bow down. After meeting in Brasilia with Foreign Minister Celso Amorim on Wednesday, Mrs. Clinton probably knows this better than anyone. Mr. Amorim said Wednesday that Brazil will not “bow down” to international pressure.

Hillary Clinton her visit was preceded by William Burns.  Burns is undersecretary of state for political affairs and is promoting sanctions to Iran.
Read his article on his Blog where he spoke of the status of Brazil as a clear “emerging power” and of the importance of the relationship between the US and Brazil.  The New York Times also wrote an insightful article on the matter.

But again, Brazil won’t bow down.
Last Friday, Brazilian president Lula da Silva left for an official visit to Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan to discuss the Middle East peace process, Iran and trade cooperation.  Thhe focus is on high-tech sectors, including semiconductors, telecommunications, nanotechnology, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

While Brazil is taking the stage, China is facing challenges back home andChina is preparing for a showndown with the United States.  The Telegraph wrote today this excellent article: “The long-simmering clash between the world’s two great powers is coming to a head, with dangerousimplications for the international system“.

Tags: clinton brasil, peres lula

The financial Times reports on Avon (the US direct sales cosmetic giant) sales in Brazil taking over sales in the US since the third quarter of 2009.  Natura, the local Brasilian market leader is even bigger though with US$ 2,1 billion sales compared to US$ 1,67 billion sales for Avon Brasil.
Sales of Avon grew at a 27% rate last year.  Last year the company opened a massive new distribution center in Cabreuva, an hour north of Sao Paulo.

The Financial times reports on the rising new consumers in Brazilian favelas.  More than 20 million Brazilians have emerged from poverty over the past six years.  Since last year, for the first time ever, more than half of Brazil’s 200 million people can be classified as middle income (earning an income between 1800 € and 450 €).

Tags: brazil avon, brazilian middle class

We already wrote on this tendency as a reaction on this article of Lode Delputte of February 2009.

Today confirmed on the frontpage of Globo: lowest homicide rates in 10 years: 34,6 per 100.000.   That is lower than many cities in the United States.

Tags: rio de janeiro homicide rate