Dreaming of a new life, Ramon Barrera came to El Charcote, a vast farm in northwestern Venezuela, several years after President Hugo Chavez’s populist government had expropriated the property from its longtime owners and begun distributing parcels to...

High-energy light bulbs are to be banned in Europe from the start of 2010, EU energy ministers agreed today.Incandescent bulbs – the conventional version with a filament – will be replaced with low-energy fluorescent bulbs.

Celebration about recent growth in Latin America has quickly given way to near-universal alarm about economic prospects. Stock markets are collapsing. Latin currencies are under great pressure. More weakness almost certainly lies ahead. Real indicators...