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House prices have risen 40% in Israel in the last 3 years. Rents are increasing rapidly at the same time. Protests in Tel Aviv and other cities about the cost of living.

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Warren Buffett's Berkshire will invest $5 billion on "cumulative perpetual" preferred stock in Bank of America. These shares will pay a 6% annual dividend. In addition Berkshire gets warrants giving it the right to purchase $5 billion in Bank of America common stock at $7.14 a share. The Bank of America share price was $7.63 on August 25, 2011. The warrants if exercized could leave Berkshire with 6.5% ownership stake in the bank. The deal comes as Bank of America's share price is under severe pressures in the financial market.

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Toyota forecast is for sales to drop by 6% worldwide to 7.9 million vehicles in 2011. Forecasts for 2012 however show a strong rebound to 8.48 million vehicles. Toyota faces serious difficulties from the stronger yen. Its plans for 2012 are based on increasing production significantly to 8.65 million vehicles worldwide, a significant production increase over 2011. Toyota's plans are for 45% of sales to be in China and emerging markets in 2012.

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As the economy improves in Mexico a new optimism brings people from other countries to Mexico. Government figures in th U.S. and Mexico show as many Americans going to Mexico as Mexicans coming to the U.S., marking a new beginning in U.S. relations with Mexico.

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U.S. vice president Mike Pence visits the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea and says that North Korea should not pursue its nuclear weapons program. Pence says the U.S. wants to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear program "through peaceful means" but "all options are on the table." Pence said North Korea should not test "U.S. strength and resolve."  Snap elections are to be held May 9, 2017 in South Korea, with one of the candidates saying he would reconsider deployment of the THAAD missile system. Following the deployment of THAAD anti missile system in South Korea China has responded with a economic boycott of South Korean goods. Seoul is only 30 miles from the border with North Korea and the sentiment in South Korea is to avoid military action which would affect the region around Seoul of 20 million people. The missile tests by the North are also seen as a threat to South Korea and Japan. China sees the THAAD system as an effort to increase American presence in the region and has opposed deployment. The U.S. response has been to speed up the deployment of the THAAD missile system ahead of the election in South Korea on May 9, 2017. ...

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Andrew Jacobs provides this exceptional accoount of disillusionment of ordinary people in Brazil with the corruption scandals, deep recession, and the drop in president Rousseff's popularity from 50 percent in 2014 to 16 percent in April 2016.