
Mauricio Macri expects to meet with Barack Obama at the end of next March when the Argentine president attends in Washington the summit on Nuclear Security of which Argentina is a member. The event takes place between 31 March and first April, and if the meeting effectively takes place, it would mean the return of the formal dialogue between the two countries, rather frozen under his predecessor Cristina Fernandez.

Argentine foreign minister Susana Malcorra was also very busy while in Davos, holding a raft of meetings including with US Secretary John Kerry, who at the end of talks twitted, great discussion on range of topics w FM @SusanaMalcorra. #Argentina remains important friend & partner in region.

President François Hollande will be visiting Argentina next month, the country’s prime minister, Manuel Valls, confirmed to President Mauricio Macri in Davos, where the two leaders discussed the remaining details of the trip that will include stops in Uruguay, Peru and Argentina.

The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, has confirmed she will stand for a second term. Ms Lagarde threw her hat into the ring during an appearance on French television.

London's The Guardian in an article credited to Oliver Balch argues that Punta del Este, Uruguay's main international summer resort has become a 'golden ghetto' for the rich where the poor can't afford staples or lodging. However Mayor Andrés Jafif openly disagrees with the reporting and argues that ”we might be poor (by European standards) but we are happy, we can live in Punta del Este, we have a good time, we surf, work and bask in beaches”.

Uber have emerged victorious in their bitterly fought battle against London's black taxi trade. London mayor Boris Johnson threw out a series of proposals which would have heavily restricted the minicab booking app. The London mayor said he had rejected what he described as neanderthal and ludicrous calls from London taxi drivers to crack down on the company.

Lisa Phillips is to succeed Mark Capes as Governor of St Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha in April 2016.

Ecuador President Rafael Correa said that his government was “tired” of pushing OPEC to decrease output and that the nation would keep working as if the oil cartel “did not exist.”

Brazil's ex president Lula da Silva declared that there is “no more honest living soul in the country” than him, as he angrily rejected new corruption allegations linking himself and some of his relatives to the corruption scandal involving state-run oil company Petrobras.

Slumping crude prices have investors and analysts warning of a potential messy default in Venezuela, with state-owned oil company PDVSA owing some US$10 billion in external debt payments due this year. With crude hovering around US$28 per barrel, Venezuela could have trouble satisfying its obligations.