Author: Zaruco

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s economy contracted more than expected in May, taking the economy to the brink of its sixth recession in a decade. Economic activity declined 5.5% from a year ago, the deepest contraction since 2020 and exceeding the 3.4% median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The economy shrank 0.1% in May from a month earlier, according to government data published. A severe drought is hitting the farms that produce most of the nation’s exports, adding to the disruption caused by out-of-control inflation. Argentina is just a month away from a primary vote that will take place on Aug…

All but one of the region’s heads of state travelled to Brasilia on 30 May for the first South America Summit in nine years, where a regional free trade zone, infrastructure investment and environmental preservation were among topics discussed in the context of reintegrated action. South America – along with Central America and the Caribbean – has endured a long history of US intervention, occupation, invasion, sanctions and ‘dollar imperialism’. Reduced dependency on the US, or ‘dedollarisation’, has long been an objective of South American nations – but with limited success. As the largest economy (and country) in South America, Brazil holds considerable regional influence as…

A teacher has been fatally stabbed in an attack at a school in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that left three other teachers and two students injured. Officials have identified a 13-year-old student as responsible for the knife attack, which took place at about 7:20am local time (10:20 GMT) on Monday at the Thomazia Montoro public school. The governor of Sao Paulo state, Tarcisio Gomes de Freitas, said on Twitter that the suspect had been apprehended. No motive has been confirmed so far. “I have no words to express my sadness,” de Freitas wrote in his post. He also expressed “much regret…

Kazakhstan rose from 88th to 79th place out of 121 countries in the 2023 Global Soft Power Index by Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy, according to the company’s report The ranking was announced on March 2 at Brand Finance’s Global Soft Power Summit in London, where delegates discussed the role of soft power in international politics and business. “This annual report into Soft Power covers the ability to influence others through attraction or persuasion rather than coercion. It encompasses a wide range of tools, including business and trade, governance, international relations, culture and heritage, media and…

The rough floor of the immigration detention center was Alejandro’s sharpening stone. For hours each day, he scraped trash against concrete at the River correctional facility in rural Louisiana so he could make rings for his loved ones. He wore plastic Coke bottles down to an “O” shape, using the cylinder to give the rings their form. He knew the bottle would leave the rings too big for the fingers he was making them for: his sister, niece and best friend. But he had nothing else. Each ring would take eight, 10, 12 hours to make. That was fine –…

Fabrizio Romano provided a recent update on Garnacho’s contract situation on his YouTube channel, stating that United are ‘getting closer’ to reaching an agreement with the player. “On Alejandro Garnacho, I always told you also a few days ago that Man United were optimistic; now they’re getting closer,” he said. “The agreement is really close between Man United and Alejandro Garnacho. Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know “They are discussing the details of the proposal. So, it’s about the salary and length of the contract. Some things to clarify,…

The region has the highest cost for a healthy diet compared to the rest of the world, at USD 3.89 per person per day, while the world average is USD 3.54. January 19, 2023, Santiago, Chile. The new United Nations report Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2022 finds that 22.5% of the Latin America and the Caribbean population cannot afford a healthy diet. In the Caribbean this figure reaches 52%; in Mesoamerica, 27.8%; and in South America, 18.4%. The publication reports that 131.3 million people in the region could not afford a healthy diet in 2020. This represents an…

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Police fired tear gas to try to subdue thousands of protesters who poured into the Peruvian capital Thursday, many from remote Andean regions, calling for the ouster of President Dina Boluarte and the return to power of her predecessor, whose removal last month launched deadly unrest and cast the nation into political chaos. The demonstrators gathered in Lima’s historic downtown scuffled with security forces who barred them from reaching key government buildings, including Congress, as well as business and residential districts of the capital. Besides Boluarte’s resignation, the supporters of former President Pedro Castillo were demanding…

Dunlap called “game” in the waning moments of a 54-43 defeat of LaSalle-Peru for an Illinois boys basketball victory on January 9. Source: The Pantagraph

Peru’s Congress will reconsider a proposal to move elections forward, one of the key demands of protesters who have taken to the streets for nearly two weeks since lawmakers voted to remove former President Pedro Castillo. The legislature, which has an overwhelming disapproval rating in the Andean nation, will take up the proposal on Tuesday to push forward the vote for president and Congress to next year, though elections were originally planned for 2026. The country’s embattled new president, Dina Boluarte, has urged lawmakers to authorise her plan to hold the elections in December 2023. “Don’t be blind,” Boluarte said…