Stories for January 2016

Monday, January 25th 2016 - 10:19 UTC
IMF praise for Argentina's measures... but forecasts 'mild recession' this year

Despite the austerity policies that have been implemented by the government of President Mauricio Macri, Argentina will see a bigger than expected recession this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a new report. The economy is set to decline 1% this year, a drop that is 0.3 percentage points larger than the previous forecast that the IMF had released in October.
Monday, January 25th 2016 - 10:10 UTC
Proxy inflation in Argentina reached 6.5% in December and 31.6% in 2015

Consumer prices rose 6.5% in December in the Argentine province of San Luis, one of the indexes the new leaders of the country's INDEC statistics bureau had said could be used as a proxy for national inflation figures — amounting to a cumulative 31.6% increase in 2015.
Monday, January 25th 2016 - 10:01 UTC
IMF estimates 2016 Venezuela inflation at 720% and 8% economy contraction

Venezuela’s consumer inflation, already the world’s highest, will more than double this year surging to 720% in 2016 from 275% last year, according to a note published by the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Director, Alejandro Werner.
Monday, January 25th 2016 - 09:56 UTC
Tourists' arrivals grew 4.4% last year and forecasted to increase 4% this year

International tourist arrivals grew by 4.4% in 2015 to reach a total of 1,184 million in 2015, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Some 50 million more tourists (overnight visitors) travelled to international destinations around the world last year as compared to 2014. 2015 marks the 6th consecutive year of above-average growth, with international arrivals increasing by 4% or more every year since the post-crisis year of 2010.
Monday, January 25th 2016 - 08:54 UTC
“Snowzilla” froze the East Coast of the US and left at least 29 dead

Millions of people across the eastern US are clearing up after the weekend's massive snowstorm that virtually paralysed the region. They have been digging out their cars and clearing pathways of snow which reached 91cm in five states.
Monday, January 25th 2016 - 08:41 UTC
Tompkins widow plans to hand over thousands of acres to create national parks in Patagonia

The widow of American conservationist Doug Tompkins, who died last month while kayaking in South America's Patagonia region, says she'll build on her husband's legacy of protecting threatened ecosystems in Argentina and Chile.
Monday, January 25th 2016 - 08:29 UTC
Paraguay's Dominguez, expected to be confirmed Conmebol president on Tuesday

Conmebol the South American football confederation rattled by corruption and massive arrests of its former members (except Uruguay's), involved in the major FIFA scandal, has a president, and if nothing happens from here to election day, 26 January, he is Alejandro Domìnguez, (43) a Paraguayan economist, belonging to one of the richest families in the country.
Monday, January 25th 2016 - 08:24 UTC
Storm Jonas heading for UK across the Atlantic, with forecasts of torrential rain

The storm that battered America is on its way to Britain, forecasters have warned. But instead of dumping loads of snow, it’s going to bring severe rainfall across large parts of the country. It is expected that the ‘remnants’ of Storm Jonas will hit the UK on Tuesday, with torrential rain and heavy winds on their way.
Monday, January 25th 2016 - 08:17 UTC
Former NY City mayor Bloomberg willing to run for president

Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, has told his aides to draw up plans for an independent campaign for the U.S. presidency, The New York Times reported on Saturday.
Monday, January 25th 2016 - 07:28 UTC
Corbyn favors Falklands' 'power-sharing' deal with Argentina, says ex ambassador Castro

United Kingdom's leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn is in favor of making a power-sharing deal with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, according to an Argentine diplomat. Outgoing Argentine ambassador Alicia Castro says that the Labour leader is “one of ours” and that he told her he supports a British-Argentine power-sharing deal in the vein of Northern Ireland.