
The United Kingdom's intention to leave the single market as outlined in Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit speech on Tuesday has generated some concerns for the Falkland Islands Government, but a Member of the Legislative Assembly indicated this week they are still confident all will be well for the Islands under post- 2019 arrangements.

Brazil's Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles has admitted that the government is going to revise its official forecast for this year's GDP growth, but gave no details as to the extent of the change. In its latest forecast, the government had estimated the economy was going to grow 1% in 2017.

The number of international tourists rose by four percent worldwide to 1.2 billion in 2016 as Asians traveled more, but security fears hit visitor arrivals in Europe, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) said. This represents the seventh consecutive year of growth since 2009, when global tourism figures declined four percent as the financial crisis and an outbreak of swine flu saw cash-strapped people stay at home.

The incoming Trump administration's top trade priority is to renegotiate the Nafta trade deal with Canada and Mexico, according to commerce secretary nominee Wilbur Ross during a confirmation hearing on his nomination before US senators.

Two of the largest investment banks in the City of London have confirmed that some staff will definitely have to move abroad when the UK leaves the EU. HSBC's chief executive, Stuart Gulliver, told Bloomberg he was preparing to move 1,000 staff from London to Paris. And Axel Weber, boss of Swiss bank UBS, told BBC about 1,000 of its 5,000 London jobs could be hit by Brexit.

The head of the International Monetary Fund has warned the UK there is still likely to be pain ahead as Theresa May prepares to trigger the UK's departure from the European Union. Christine Lagarde told the BBC the Brexit process would be complicated.

Argentina aspires to become the back bone of an integrated Mercosur with the Pacific Alliance, said the country's Tourism minister Gustavo Santos attending the International Tourism Fair, Fitur, taking place in Spain.

By Gwynne Dyer
The main message of 2016 was that we are entering a period of economic and political upheaval comparable to the Industrial Revolution of 1780-1850, and nothing expressed that message more clearly than Donald Trump's appointment of Andrew Puzder as Secretary of Labour. Even though it's clear that neither man understands the message.

China's president Xi told the World Economic Forum in Davos on Monday that the “migrant crisis had been caused by war, conflict and regional turbulence,” not globalization. Similarly, the 2007/8 financial crisis was caused by “the excessive pursuit of profits and a lack of economic regulations,” he said.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said the UK “cannot possibly” remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean “not leaving the EU at all”, but at the same time promised to push for the “greatest possible” access to the single market following Brexit.