Contributions from Carin Zissis
By the end of the month, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will have played host to Israeli, Palestinian, and Iranian leaders as he lifts Brazil’s profile on Middle East policy. But the November 23 visit of Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad raises eyebrows, given global concerns over Tehran's nuclear program.
After revealing a drop in deforestation rates, Brazil announced a greenhouse gas reduction target of nearly 40 percent by 2020. Brazil has partnered with France to chart a global climate change proposal for next month's UN environmental summit. Still, bold plans could give way to a scaled-back agreement in Copenhagen.
APEC celebrates 20 years as members convene in Singapore. On the sidelines, Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada, as well as APEC observer countries Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama are pursuing economic agreements with Asian countries.